A Flash of Lightning and An Answered Prayer

Something profound happened to me last Night that I would love to share with the community. For the past 2 years, life has not been easy for me. In fact, the growing stress and pitfalls I have sometimes crashed into, contributed greatly to my growing and severe anxiety disorder. In recent time, I have started to overcome it significantly, but during the time when it hit the hardest, I was in bad shape. It made me worry and stress about everything that mattered in my life, which is what anxiety disorder does, it attacks everything you hold dear, and it causes you anger, irritability, and fear of your past mistakes. But deep down, I was able to push through because I knew the Gods, and knew better than what my illness told me. Instilled in me was the refusal to give up, and eventually, the illness got tired of fighting, I would say.

Each Day and Night, I pour libations to the Gods, Spirits, Heroes, Deified Mortals, Ancestors and the Blessed Dead at my outside altar. While it's a set practice for me, sometimes the prayers can slightly differ based on my current circumstances or how I may address the Gods and other Beings. The ending to my prayer, before the closing of khaire, was, Gods please accept my apology for all of my offenses, and bless my temple, home, family, me and all the people of the world. After the last word, the Sky lit up with a flash of lightning above me, opening my eyes back up.

The space in which it happened meant that the flash interrupted the closing word of the prayer. The Gods closed the prayer themselves and sealed the rite. My devotion was accepted, the past that I was referring to was put behind me forever, my prayer answered. It was a sign I really needed at that time. In ancient Greek religion, this would very likely not be viewed as random because of the precise timing, but that the Gods responded positively. I think the Gods also loved the fact that my prayer was selfless. While I asked for blessings upon myself, I also included more than myself, such as my family, temple, home and all the people of the world. 

There is no feeling like the Presence of the Gods and the peace it always brings.

In the Goodness of the Gods,

I'll see you at the next Herm down the road,

Chris Aldridge.