God offers us grace in varying degrees of intensity. For example, there is the natural flow of grace that literally enlivens our bodily cells; this level of grace is given to all living creatures. On the other end of the spectrum, God bestows supreme manifestations of grace that befuddle our materialistic minds, override the laws of physics as we understand them, and appear to be miraculous in nature. The first time I visited Yogananda’s Mother Center in Los Angeles, I was absolutely awed by the intensity of the spiritual vibrations percolating on those hallowed grounds. Clearly, there was and is an intense and supreme level of grace flowing from Yogananda’s consciousness. This is the point: supreme grace can turn difficulties into opportunities, failures into success, and powerlessness into power. However, supreme grace can manifest in our lives only to the degree we are emptied of egoic influences and surrendered to the will of God.
Beloved God,
Grant me the grace
To reach ever-deeper
Levels of surrender
So that I may receive
Ever-deeper levels of grace.
