There’s more to you and me
Looking for your individual path in life or work? In this excerpt from his lecture, “Let Love lead,” Chet Manchester shares what happened one cold winter night when his fears about the future were replaced by a rush of inspiration that changed everything. Find out how discovering more about the creative nature of God can lead to breakthroughs in your life and career.
Posted on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012 at 10:22 am | Follow responses with the RSS feedTopics: Career, Right Place | Tags: calling, job, profession, the future
Thanks, Chet, this is delightful and inspiring and so vibrantly expressed. You certainly are a businessman about your Father’s Business. Well done!!
I’m deeply touched by everyone’s comments. Thank you all. It may be my son who ends up doing something with the Alphabet Rebellion story. He’s a wonderful artist with a great vision for the web and apps. The iPad has certainly opened up the possibilities for letters and words to sing and dance across the page! Who knows where this inspiration may lead some day!
Chet, This is so wondeful. I have listened to this over and over and over. EVERY time I and other members of my family read this, it blesses our family with the comfort, love, guidance and reassurance written and expressed in such a creative way. Many, many thanks.
I too, many years ago enjoyed academics but my love was art. However my life took many unexpected turns & listening to Chet I felt saddened I hadn’t responded as he had. Then he read that citation & I felt at peace. Of course forever developing. There is still more! Thank you.
Chet, your poem and art project is timeless, reaching out to people of all ages. It imbues the excitement of being alive, the joy, and aspiration to reach infinitely higher, which we can all do as expressions of God. Your creativity sparks such great enthusiasm. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” And you are doing it through so many mediums–your poem, your art, and your lectures. Have you made that poem with its artwork into a children’s book? It could lift up so many. I can imagine the parent, sitting beside the child, reading the book out loud while looking at the illustrations. I can see both the parent and child’s courage building, imaginations soaring, their love for life expanding outward and skyward. What precious and glorious moments your story could bring to a child.
Oh, my gosh! So beautiful! So freeing! Thank you!
Beautiful!
and inspiring!
In a small way I can relate to this.
One time when I was about 16,
a little 4-line poem came to me complete — like a little package,
while our family was out in the wilds picking blueberries.
They picked, and I collected the poem, and a strong clear idea for a painting!
Thank you Chet!
Chet, I loved that the poem came to you in its entirety not piece by piece. How wonderful to experience the completeness of Mind, God, in such a creative manner. Good job, my friend! Has the poem been published?
Thank you for your answer. This conversation makes me delve deeper into these things–looking in the Concordance to references in Mrs. Eddy’s writings. Mrs. Eddy interprets Jesus’ words, “Ye are the light of the world” to mean “Man shines by borrowed light.” (Retrospection p. 57)
Man is not the light. Mrs. Eddy writes, “Let your light reflect Light.” (Miscellaneous Writings 154).
So I understand that to mean that we are not THAT “Light.”
And as for “song”–we have teachings from Mrs. Eddy that say we are to SING the song, but we are not the “song,” and this concept is rooted in Scripture.
I too have been inspired to delve deeper into these things…here are some thoughts…
Man is not God, THAT “Light”, yet man is one with God. Mrs. Eddy writes the simile “As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being. The Scripture reads: ‘For in Him, we live, and move, and have our being.’” SH 361:16.
I love that God is shining me, as a ray of light from the sun. If God is smiling that beautiful lake, I feel that He is smiling me. If God “is the only author of man” SH 29:16 then God is writing me, composing me. If God “is not the author of mortal discords” SH 231:16 then I am His beautiful poem, His harmonious song, His expression.
Hymn 453 captures this. “Rise up and walk! God made you free, born of His liberty, Carefree and strong, you are His song, perfect for all to see”.
A very interesting lecture, and one that turns me to Mrs. Eddy’s chapter, “Creation” in S&H.
I am struggling with the concepts I’ve seen on this website that say that man is a “song” or a “note” or a “paintbrush” or even God’s “purpose.” I do not find those concepts in Science and Health. Can anyone explain?
Anne, it’s the SPIRIT not the letter. Jesus’ teachings and Mary Baker Eddy’s writings are filled with metaphors that point to the spiritual reality. When Jesus says, “You are the light of the world!” he’s speaking of us as the very expression of God, Soul. Mrs. Eddy refers to a Native American name for a lake in New Hampshire as “the smile of the Great Spirit” and helps us understand our spiritual identity as the expression, the light, the showing forth of God’s nature. I believe my metaphors are right in line with these concepts.
Love this. Thanks so much for sharing. :-)
Chet, loved hearing you speak the fruits of your inspiration with so much enthusiasm. Clearly not the usual ABC book. I hope you told poem to your children often when they were little. What a great example of the unlimited nature of inspiration when the connection with your Source is glimpsed.
The message of God’s creativity expressed as His spiritual ideas, His children, us — you and me — is such a big one, and comes through winningly in this marvelous mini-lecture.
I agree with SG and Birgid that the ABC poem is soooo publishable — and echo Jennifer’s desire to reread the Creation chapter and see it anew — fresh.
Speaking of fresh views, I love how Dave creatively links us to the Science and Health’s references to the word “views” — that’s so clever!
And perhaps best of all, these ideas and their presentation, Chet, are so share-able, with anyone and everyone. All of us naturally yearn to more fully express our innate creative spirit, the image of the one creative Spirit! :-)
Just wow, thank you for this sharing. Just what I needed to hear. Xx
Chet, That was awesome! I know it was meant primarily for youth, but I am recently retired and feel that finally I can be free to be me. I have been gradually searching for many years. Your talk and sweet alphabet book is so eloquently simple and profound. Thanks so much!
What a wonderful message. I plan on sharing this, and rereading the chapter on Creation. Thank you Chet!
Wonderful Chet, thank you so much for sharing this insight.
Wow Chet… I thought, Hmmm, I should read that chapter on Creation. Maybe this is just the inspiration I need.
Guess what? I reached over to my S&H and it was open to the first page of Creation. I had been studying the
three pages before that chapter earlier today. That is not coincidence, that is direction from Mind. Thank you for being one of God’s angels.
Thankyou so much Chet, what a wonderful and timely message! Exactly what I needed to hear today!!
It is very clear that you are doing just what you are here to do. xxoo
Precisely what I needed to hear right now. Thank you.
I like your creativeness, everything God made was and is Good!!!
What an encouraging, re-asuring, invigorating and up-lifting message!!
Publishing the illustrated poem seems natural.
Great message. And Chet, you should totally publish that illustrated poem as a children’s book!
Hey Chet
Just love this! This is my favourite sentence in the textbook! Thanks for the fresh views.
Dave
This is a valuable insight into the “creative process,” and, shared so well! The message is truly universal – I’m definitively going to share this one