Another Friday. Another Five Minute Friday post.
I don’t think I’ve ever told you how important these five minute writing exercises are to me {yeah, you’ve heard it all before … just about every week}. They are. I look forward to getting the prompt word, pondering it, letting the neurons out to roam free, collecting the sometimes random, rambling thoughts, transcribing them and sharing them at our Five Minute Friday place on Facebook at fiveminutefriday.com. Then I get to sit back and read what my fellow writers have posted. It’s always enlightening and a perfect segue into the weekend and Sunday worship.
That’s my pitch. Lately I’ve been including snippets from other writers, taken from Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat, compiled by Susan Shipe. Listen to why Paula finds Five Minute Friday so rewarding. Maybe she can convince you to visit or, better yet, give it a try!
“Five Minute Friday reminded me why I love writing. It’s real, it’s raw and it’s so much more than a job.”
The prompt this week is BORN and the timer is set, so it’s time to GO…
I was a little flippant last night when the prompt posted. I commented, I don’t remember when I was born. I was kinda young.
More seriously, I do remember when my children were born — or at least four of the five, they didn’t have birthing rooms in the dark ages. And I was around either at or shortly after my grandchildren and great-granddaughters were born. It’s a magical, mystical time.
A lot is said nowadays about being reborn. If you don’t know when, the sages tell us, then you probably never were. I know when — at my conformation — although at the time in the late 50s, early 60s, practicing Catholics never referred to it as being reborn. That’s more of a charismatic, evangelical term.
All that brings me to the point. There is a time a’comin when we will be truly born — literally. It will be the day we take out last breath in the cocoon of life and our next in the eternity of the afterlife. …STOP
… It’s real folks. You can call it a new birth, or being reborn, or just trading this life for another, or completing our growth (or lack of) in the second womb. It will happen to us all — even the non-believers.
Unfortunately, for me, too many of my friends lately have left this world for the next. Just the other day, a good friend from Maine crossed over. Two friends are on hospice care. I witnessed my wife’s transition … one last heartbeat on earth, eternity in heaven.
Yes, they were born anew. We grieve … heaven rejoices.
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. — John Wayne
The Light 
Last night I felt the other realm,
felt the door swing wide,
felt the light to overwhelm,
and beckon me inside.
Last night I saw the other place
that lies beyond our night;
saw the birth of smiling grace,
the end of this hard fight.
Last night I stood at Heaven’s gate,
in dawning light of day,
and ever-faithful to my fate,
I waved, and turned away,
for though I shook hands with the Son
there’s still a war here to be won.
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Keep fighting soldier. We’re they the words from the commander? Keep fighting!
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Hi Joe. You are talking about a topic that’s right down my alley. As you recall, I have had a NDE over 40 years ago. As soon as I came out of my body, I noticed right away how calm and peaceful it was. I had the sensation of floating on air, and I felt completely free for the first time in my life. I could see everything going on around me. Then I saw my body. The first thought that occurred to me was: I think I’m dead. But I very quickly realized that my sense of awareness and consciousness was still with me. I’m still me, and I feel more alive than I’ve ever been. I was completely at peace. Here, I’ve just been electrocuted, my body is dead, and I’m the calmest person in the building. Sounds crazy, but this is what happened.
I’m aware of the term being reborn, or being born again. What happened during my NDE was what I call a spiritual awakening. This was the seed that was planted. This was the beginning. Someone doesn’t plant a seed in a flower pot and expect a plant to grow and bloom with flowers and appear immediately. It takes time for the seed to germinate, and the plant to grow, and for flowers to bloom. Becoming spiritually enlightened takes a great deal of time. Sometimes, a lifetime. So, being born again is a process that takes place within a person over time, but like the seed, it takes time for the plant to grow, and the flowers to bloom.
It seems to me that what happens after we cross over is a continuation of life. We shed our physical bodies, and we become a spiritual creature. During my NDE, I felt like some kind of energy and that I was pure mind. This is what I call the Inner Person, because this is who we truly are. We seem to keep our basic personalities, like our sense of humor, and our other personality traits. We will be spiritual creatures, but retain part of our humanness in a way. The good part of our humanity.
Bruce
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I remember you telling me the story. Fascinating. Glad you can speak from experience. Take care my friend!
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I thought of this prompt from the perspective being reborn. I enjoyed hearing your thought on the subject. I hope you have a wonderful weekend
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Thank you. Have a wonderful weekend yourself!
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Thanks, Joe. I’ll take a good alter call to action any time. You delivered it well! We need to tell all, knowing only some will hear, but we can’t let that stop us.
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Keep telling the story. It’s not our job to save, but to make the introduction. Keep looking up!
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