I would like to think that I was always so open, confident and welcoming of new life experiences. Sadly, I had (and still have) many lessons to learn. Life is a journey, not a destination, right? A lot of people go through life stuck, not growing as a person, not welcoming new feelings or ideas. So, what happened that changed me: nothing earth-shattering and nothing over-night.
I might trace the steps of my path back to a simple number. Eight years ago, when my oldest child was in preschool, I did a lot of driving. Her school was all the way across town. This situation was inconvenient to me at the time because I was taking care of unwell adult family members, including a toddler, and volunteering at various organizations. I never felt as if there were enough minutes in the day to meet everyone’s needs. So, schlepping across town to be at her school by 3:00pm for pickup was, at times, nerve-racking. I noticed over the course of several months that no matter if I were a little early or a little late, I would arrive at home precisely at the same time-3:17pm. I thought this occurrence was peculiar, but I mostly ignored it-until I started seeing license plates with 317 and receipts with 317. I would get phone calls with the numbers 317, or I would fill up my gas tank, and when the nozzle clicked, the gallon or price would land on 317. Over time, I found myself looking for this number. Expecting to see it in some shape or form wherever I went. I had heard people refer to having a lucky number or choosing a favorite number, but I did not find this relatable to my experience. Finally, one evening, after seeing the numbers on the microwave frozen at 317, I decided to Google, “What does seeing repetitive numbers mean?” The search pulled up “angel numbers.” It routed me to Joanne Sacred Scribes website. I typed in 317 and read the description.
Number 317 is a combination of the attributes and energies of number 3, the vibrations of number 1 and the influences of number 7. Number 3 resonates with optimism and inspiration, ‘faith, hope and charity’, communication and self-expression, encouragement and assistance, joy and enthusiasm and manifesting. Number 3 also resonates with the energies of the Ascended Masters. Number 1 relates to self-leadership and assertiveness, initiative, instinct and intuition, new beginnings and a fresh approach, motivation, striving forward and progress. Number 1 reminds us that we create our own realities with our thoughts, beliefs and actions. Number 7 resonates with peace, spiritual awakening, development and enlightenment, inner-knowing and understanding others, dignity and refinement, persistence of purpose and good fortune. Number 7 also relates to study, learning and knowledge.
This was the first time I had heard of an angel number. I must have read the description about twenty times, trying to match the verbiage to my current life circumstance. Doing this exercise made me feel good, divinely supported-even excited to think that I was doing well on my life’s path. Then, my logical mind revved up. I thought about the validity of someone claiming to have the ability to decode the meaning of numbers from an angelic perspective. I needed to discount the idea that such a human could exist. This voodoo witchcraft was not a part of my religious doctrine. What would give Joanne the authority to receive messages from the angels? I am not even sure that my Priest can do that.
Then, I googled Bible 3:17. The following popped up, “For God did not send his only son into the world, to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) Reading these words, I felt a strong, still, inner peace move through my spirit. The passage reminded me that human life is not supposed to be simple or easy. I thought, Jesus’s life and suffering had a purpose, so perhaps, mine did, too?
Then my heart circled back to the angel number 317. I felt an added comfort in believing I was receiving a message, not only from the Bible, but from the angels. I was seeking a closer connection to God, and I did find Joanne’s interpretation empowering. I began to question, what programming I had inside of me to make me feel like I had to choose one explanation over the other? Both interpretations filled my spirit. Why could I not believe in both? Why could I not be an independent thinker? Jesus was an independent thinker. He did not wait around for people to empower him or to be given permission to believe or act; he just followed his heart.
Time passed and I continued to see 317. Whenever I did, I thought about Joanne’s description, and it would infuse my spirit with hope, positivity and validation of purpose. I felt connected to God. For the first time, I did not have to go to a clergyman or church to feel that connection. Eventually, I resolved that I wanted to feel good, and for me, that meant living in a world where angels send messages through numbers. I self-interpreted, with the help of Joanne and the Bible, that 317 was telling me that volunteering and keeping a mind of service through hardship was planting good seeds that would eventually bring plentiful bounty and spiritual satisfaction to me.
The path of acknowledging this simple synchronistic event continues to reward me with a rich spiritual life. I believe that God is in constant motion, sending messages through thoughts, feelings and other people. You just have to pay attention to the little things - like hearing the same name or the same unusual word multiple times in one day from unaffiliated people and situations. What does that mean? You do not have to know the answers; just opening the door of curiosity within your mind can take you on a journey of self-discovery.
During the course of publishing Divorcing Oedipus, I had several synchronistic events. A lot of grandmothers showed up on a spiritual level for some ancestral healing. For example, my publisher Alyson, named her publishing company, Franklin Rose, after her grandmother, Rose. I named my youngest child after my great grandmother. The name Ophelia was the name of the marketing specialist’s grandmother. The surname Wise is the name of the publicist but is also the surname of my beloved coworker. Ophelia and Wise are not the most common names. The logical mind wants to see it as a coincidence. Maybe to some, it is? Maybe to others, it is sign from God that you are on the right path. Eight years ago, when I first opened my mind to the possibility that this subtle energy field existed, I had no foresight of the journey upon which I was embarking. And to think, it all began with a simple number and little faith.
#Substance Abuse, #Mental Illness, #MommyIssue, #Divorce , #Drugs, #Marriage. #OedipusComplex