Signs of Life

April 5, 2009

Dear Friends,

Last week I wrote about the divine signs that show up in our lives, and how they help us. In particular, I focused on objects, animals, and insects that we have assigned special meaning to, because their repeated appearance has always been accompanied by something significant occurring.

Sometimes these divine signs show us the next right step we need to take to fulfill a dream or desire. Other times these divine signs simply alert us to something that we need to know. They may help us get in touch with some information that is helpful to us, or even healing.

This week I have an example to share with you:

About a year-and-a-half ago, one of my oldest and dearest friends was devastated when her daughter died suddenly and unexpectedly. This is the kind of tragic event that can shake almost anybody’s faith, and questions about God’s will, the meaning of life, and the continuation of life always arise.

My friend was no exception. This horrific circumstance brought up many of those same questions for her. Does life really continue after death. Really? Does the soul truly live on? Does consciousness survive? Or—in all forms—do we simply cease to exist?

Month after month these questions plagued my friend. At times she would be certain of life’s continuity, but at other times, doubtful. She desperately wanted to believe that even though her daughter was no longer embodied, her spirit was very much alive, and only the physical nature of their relationship had changed.

Then, one day, my friend noticed a possum lying very, very still in her backyard. She had lived in this house for decades, and had never seen a possum in her yard before.

As she approached the creature, it seemed to be near death. It was breathing, but very, very slowly. So she gingerly picked it up, and moved it into the alley behind her house.

After a long while, my friend went back to the alley to check on the animal. At this point, there were no signs of life whatsoever. No detectable breath. Nothing. My friend eventually concluded that the animal must have died. And, with great respect and reverence, she laid the stiff and lifeless body to rest.

A few weeks later, the exact same thing happened again. Another possum was lying motionless in her backyard. Amazed and confused, my friend once again moved the barely-breathing creature to the alley. But this time, she got on the Internet to do a little research on possums. And she found out what you probably already know: When possums feel threatened, they mimic all the appearances of being dead. Their lips curl back. They become very rigid. They even emit a “death smell.” And they can remain that way for hours.

After my friend got off the computer, she went back to the alley to check on the creature. This time, the possum was gone. It was neither dead nor dying. It had simply looked that way.

That’s when my friend realized that she had been given a gift—that she had received a divine sign to help heal her heavy heart. The possums were a reminder—and a confirmation—that even though our bodies may become lifeless, death is really just an “appearance.” Our true nature lives on.

My friend needed a sign to help her know—on a very deep level—that her daughter’s spirit is, indeed, eternal . . . that her daughter’s essence can never die or disappear. And just to make sure that my friend really got the message, a third possum recently showed up at her home. Only this possum was obviously alive and well—big and fat and helping itself to some cat food on my friend’s front porch.

I find the progression of this story remarkable. When my friend assumed that the first possum was dead—and treated it as such—a second one came and helped her look beyond appearances. And then a third possum showed up, so what was once troubling my friend in the “backyard” of her mind, was replaced by a vision of life in the “front porch” of her mind.

So, were these possums truly a “divine sign” for my friend? Or were they just a chance happening? You can draw your own conclusions. I’m pretty sure you know what I think.

Steven

P.S. Carol and I have a similar story involving dragonflies. If you have not heard this story before, I recently told it during a radio interview, and used it to illustrate a few misconceptions about the manifestation process. To listen to this interview, just click on the following link. This is a simple MP3 file that most computers can download and play easily:

www.rowrowrow.com/RadioShows/STRDragonflyStory.mp3

© 2009 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com