{"id":56,"date":"2013-12-20T11:14:45","date_gmt":"2013-12-20T11:14:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/abbf858d-185b-4bf2-a516-ca5342b994a7"},"modified":"2013-12-20T11:14:45","modified_gmt":"2013-12-20T11:14:45","slug":"on-the-rebirth-of-innocence-a-christmas-meditation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/?p=56","title":{"rendered":"On the Rebirth of Innocence, A Christmas Meditation"},"content":{"rendered":"

I wrote this last year around this time and was inspired to share it again today.  May it help fill you with hope and joy.<\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

–Joseph<\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

On the Rebirth of Innocence<\/o:p><\/b><\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

A Christmas Meditation<\/b><\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

by<\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

Joseph Anthony<\/font><\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n

Everyone has
\nthings happen to them that shouldn\u2019t happen. 
\nEveryone carries wounds within their very cells.  This being said, everyone also has things happen
\nto them that should<\/i> happen.  Everyone carries healing and purity within
\ntheir cells. Both leave imprints on the soul and the cells of the body.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nslowly integrate both into your life.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

What?  Integrate pain?  That\u2019s crazy. 
\nExcept that every human life experiences pain\u2014emotional, mental, and
\nphysical.  Of course, it\u2019s good to avoid
\nthe unnecessary manufacture of pain and to not put one\u2019s hand on a hot
\nstove.  However, we cannot avoid pain completely.  So when it comes, learn, within reason, to
\nfeel it, especially the emotional and mental varieties.  All pain is a messenger. <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

I was asked
\nrecently how often I moved towards the pain\u2014the emotional pain.  I replied that most days the pain moves
\ntowards me.  It\u2019s safe to do that now.  Once not too long ago the pain wasn\u2019t welcome;
\nI treated it like a monster, an outcast, a pariah.  Now it knows I will give it a place to spend
\nthe night.  I will listen to it, sit with
\nit, and move towards it with intent to honor and ultimately transform it
\nthrough the very act of listening and embracing it.  It can be itself while knowing, its heart of
\nheart is love\u2014protection\u2014the desire to be whole.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

The same is
\ntrue for healing.  It is safe to flow
\ntowards me and from me.  It is welcome in
\nmy heart, body, and soul.  I am learning
\nto open my arms to healing, to sit with it, listen to it and transform it into
\nanything it needs to be.  It can be
\nitself, even as it manifests itself as music, poetry, nature, the touch of a
\nfriend, the smile of a child, you<\/i>.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

How does one
\nopen their heart to healing?  Can
\ninnocence really be reclaimed, reborn, rediscovered?  Is it ever completely lost?  Does it ever completely die?  Can it ever truly be stolen? And if it can be
\nreborn, how does one make room inside for that to happen?  <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Keep in mind
\nthe roots of the word: innocence<\/i> is
\nrelated to the word noxious<\/i>, and thus
\nmeans not-noxious, not harmful, not poison, and not sick (online etymology
\ndictionary).  This being the case
\ninnocence can certainly be born again in our lives, indeed, it must be.  Our very bodies are equipped with healing
\ncells.  The same is true for the heart
\nand the soul.  We are all born with the
\nwhite blood cells of spirit and joy.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

To be
\nspecific, here, in a nutshell are some suggestions for allowing innocence to be
\nreborn within you:<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nembrace your sorrow and pain.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nstop doing things that harm yourself and others. <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nforgive others and yourself.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nseek forgiveness and repair anything you have broken.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn, with the
\nhelp and guidance of mentors, trusted friends, and therapists, to find
\ndirection in your life.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nbreathe fully.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to be
\nin the moment\u2014every moment.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nlove yourself\u2014your body, your own unique ways of thinking and praying and being.
\n<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to be open to and to integrate healing modalities such as EFT into your life.<\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nplay.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Learn to
\nsing.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

There are
\nother things as well.  And while I think
\nthe ultimate journey towards innocence involves unique moments of pain and
\ndarkness for everyone in one way or another, everyone\u2019s path also involves
\nunique moments of healing and revelation.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Know that
\nthe worse you feel (even if you feel down and out right now<\/i>), the more you are able to sit with the pain, the more
\nyour life has been reduced to spiritual poverty, where your animal instincts
\nare crowding around your life, there is another part of you, a union of quiet
\nstrength and willingness; a union of intuition and openness; a union of dreams
\nand passion, that is seeking your heart, your very own dingy, broken heart to
\ngive birth to innocence.  It is looking
\nfor a \u201chouse of bread.\u201d  And it is guided
\nby both the star of your dreams and the light of your wounds.  And when you have humbled yourself or life
\nhumbles you, know that innocence will be born again inside you.  It is seeking a place, daily, hourly, ever
\nmore, to find a safe place to be born. And when it finds the manger of your
\nheart, open the doors, let the night winds swirl and dance, let those same
\nclumsy animals gather round for the body is beautiful, let those who shepherd innocence come near, and lo, let the Wonder Child be born anew.  Let the gift of the birth of your Divine
\nInnocence be adored<\/i>, be praised, be showered
\nwith treasure. Let that innocence rise and celebrate who you really are\u2014your gifts
\nand talents.  Share them with the world,
\nhelp others, inspire others, nourish others with the Bread of Life growing within
\nyou, and you will truly experience the rebirth of innocence–Divine innocence,
\nHoly innocence.  And your life and the
\nlives of those around you will truly help save the world.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Happy Holidays<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

from Joseph Anthony<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

at<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

The Wonder Child Blog<\/i><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n\"\"
\n<\/form>\n

Copyright Joseph Anthony of the Wonder Child Blog<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I wrote this last year around this time and was inspired to share it again today.  May it help fill you with hope and joy. –Joseph On the Rebirth of Innocence A Christmas Meditation by Joseph Anthony Everyone has things happen to them that shouldn\u2019t happen.  Everyone carries wounds within their very cells.  This being […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}