How Will You Trust in Spirit?
by Sarah Gish
I was making bracelets for my I9NITE YOUR LIFE art project (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) with sober teens and one of them proudly handed me her creation that said “God” on it. I thanked her and then told her that wasn’t one of the “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily,” which was what I was having the teens use. Those Ways are concepts which are the backbone of my art project and I had been madly writing, editing, and updating them for 10 years and was happy with them. I had phrases like “Always be grateful (thank)” and “Connect with love (love).” But that “God” bracelet got me thinking: why didn’t I have something about spirituality?
I gave the bracelet to my friend Victoria to carry her through chemo (she still wears it every single time she goes!) and I started brainstorming with friends for a phrase that had the idea of God but that wasn’t specifically religious. I want my project to be global (yes, I really do!) and I knew that keeping the word “God” was too limiting. I wanted something expansive. “Trust in spirit” was the phrase I chose, and the word associated with it is “Trust.” I was thrilled that two HUGE concepts, trust and spirit, could be found in such a simple 3-word statement. Isn’t the English language amazing?!
Another thing that I liked about that phrase was “spirit.” Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, wrote to Carl Jung for advice about helping drunks, something Dr. Jung was famous for doing. Jung wrote back a simple phrase: “Spiritus Contra Spiritum” – “Spirit over Spirits.” The Holy Spirit is more powerful than the spirits of alcohol and that’s how he was curing people, by making the Spirit more important than spirits. I9NITE YOUR LIFE was created in honor of my brother, Geoffrey Gish, who died of alcoholism. I’m 32 years sober, so having “Trust in Spirit” as the first of the “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life” – with its double meaning – was perfect. And “trust” is first because I believe it’s just that important to turn to a greater something out there for help and for guidance. I trust in spirit through prayer and meditation.
I’m continuing this series of writings on my I9NITE YOUR LIFE art project that I started in January of 2017. Last year I expounded on the concepts and how they can help you ignite your life. This year, I will go deeper into why I chose each phrase and I will also suggest a site in Houston to visit that I love and that connects to the Way. I believe in not only understanding these concepts in your head and in your heart but also experiencing them first-hand. For “Trust in spirit (trust),” I suggest that you visit the Rothko Chapel (www.RothkoChapel.org). “The eternal quest of humankind has been to reach out to something greater and wiser than our limited self,” wrote Dr. Larry Dossey, author of Prayer is Good Medicine. Praying and trusting will help you connect to spirit and you can practice plenty of both in the peace of the Chapel.
Sarah Gish is an igniter, a connector, an artist, a mother – and much more! See her work at www.GishCreative.com and contact her at [email protected] and 713.492.1173. She produces a weekly blog highlighting unique cultural activities for adults and kids in Houston – GISH PICKS: CURATED CULTURE FOR KIDS & ADULTS (www.GishPicks.com). Her I9NITE YOUR LIFE! art project (www.IgniteYourOwnLife.com) is a nonprofit organization and is anchored by a list of “12 Ways to Ignite Your Life Daily,” which are on the website. Sarah sells her IYL bracelets at the Unity of Houston bookstore and she also does private intuitive guidance sessions on Mondays at Body Mind & Soul; to schedule one, please call the store at 713.993.0550.