I was raised Lutheran, loved going to Sunday School and prayed daily to my God.  The guy with the long beard sitting on a throne in Heaven.  I was promised that when I died, if I had been a “good girl,” I would go to Heaven. Even if I made some bad mistakes, I could “erase” them from my slate by doing good deeds–and still get into Heaven.  My body would be dead but my Soul would be in Heaven with God.  I was totally satisfied with this concept.

Until 6th grade, when a friend explained Reincarnation to me.  It made so much sense! The body dies and returns to the earth (“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust”) and the Soul gets another chance in another body. God didn’t want me to fail!  He promised I could be with Him.  Even if it took me 2 or 20 or 20,000 lifetimes to become that “good girl” I really wanted to be.

Just look at Nature, I thought.  Nothing is wasted.  It’s all re-cycled (this was before Recycling was a “thing” people did).  Plus I did understand that while my body was physical and therefore mortal, my Soul was eternal.  And my Soul was ME.

Dr. Christiane Northrup, my new super hero, concurs. “Remember, I’m a fan of the near death experience, so I know that we don’t die. We just sort of recycle.”  So believes Dr. Eben Alexander (Proof of Heaven).  And Dr. Brian Weiss (Many Lives, Many Masters). And approximately one quarter of humanity or 1.75 billion people.

So, for me, the bigger question is “What do I need to learn in each new life so that when my Soul learns all its lessons I/IT/WE will transcend to the next level?  I am willing to play the Spin the Wheel of Life game time and again, with the proviso that
e-v-e-n-t-u-a-l-l-y my Soul will no longer need to reincarnate here on Earth but will ascend to the next higher level.

How long will that take?  I dunno.

What is “the next level”?  No idea.

How many levels are there?  I dunno.

Will I ever get there?  Yep.

How do I know that?  Because God/Spirit/The Divine/Source loves me and I trust that Love.

What are the lessons I need to learn?  I dunno.  I imagine there are a LOT of them.  Trust. Forgiveness.  Compassion.  Love.  I’m willing to bet that Love is the biggest one.

The Hawaiian Kahuna system of Ho’oponopono says it succinctly.  At the end of your life, you must make it right.  With your ancestors, the people you have relationships with and the people you have wronged.  You simply say to them:

“Thank you.”

“Please forgive me.”

“I forgive you.”

“I love you.”

Why wait until your deathbed?  Say them today.
Repeat them often.
I don’t know for sure what happens when we die.
But I do know what happens when we love.
We truly live.