AlexSandra Lett "Lett's Set a Spell"

Lett's Set a Spell:
Spiritual Explorations Lead to Love

When I was growing up in the Buckhorn community and attending Moore Union Christian Church, my thirst for God went far beyond listening to Sunday School lessons and preachers' sermons and reading the Bible. With my allowance money I bought magazines that explored other spiritual beliefs throughout the world and read about how others viewed God. I discovered that most religions seem to have one thing in common: a belief in a Higher Power beyond ourselves and faith that this Deity hears our prayers and often answers them, though sometimes in ways that do not make sense in the human realm. From my personal experiences and through reading spiritual publications I discovered the answer to prayer is sometimes "No" because manifestation of our desires would not serve us.

When I worked as a reporter at The Sanford Herald between high school and college in 1970, I met a wonderful woman named Margrette Stone who was a native of Sanford. She was a staff writer, an accomplished artist, gifted musician, and spiritual seeker. Since her initials were MS, I fondly called her Mysterious Sage. She had read hundreds of books and studied extensively all the world's various religions, so I learned from her insights. We loved discussing our views about religion and spirituality.

She felt that how people live and how they love their families, friends, work, and community are the best expressions of spirituality and religion. Margrette believed said religion and spirituality should be centered on prayer—asking God for the tools and strength to live well. Quiet reflection is important as prayer because it allows people to hear God’s messages.

In searching for meaning and purpose in my life and career, I always welcome encounters with people who know how to combine spirit with business. My friend Don owns a company in Pinehurst and knows a lot about making money, but more importantly exemplifies about being rich in spirit. Like me, Don wants to soar like a butterfly.

Recently Don and I took a spiritual journey to Washington, D.C. where we met an enlightened woman from India named Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, who embodies the power of combining spirit with her work. She is better known as “Amma” (meaning Mother). She has never married and has no children, but considers herself a mother expressing love to all God's children.

Amma travels the world and lectures on love as the universal religion. She shares this message with audiences: "Love is our true essence. Love has no limitations of caste, religion, race, or nationality. We are all beads strung together on the same thread of love."

This wise woman was born in a remote coastal village in Kerata, Southern India, in 1953, where she came face to face with starvation, poverty, and disease. One of her chores was feeding the cows and goats, so she would go to 30 to 40 houses daily to collect tapioca peels and other leftovers. During these visits, Amma would listen to the people's woes and pray for them. Sometimes she would lead the destitute back to her parents' house where she would bathe and feed them.

Amma's humanitarian efforts were frowned upon by her family, who could not understand her obsession with praying and meditating and did not honor her devotion to spreading love and relieving suffering. Amma's ministry spread, and as she spoke to groups about love she would embrace each person who attended her lectures, holding each close to her heart. Soon she became known internationally as the "hugging saint."

This guru uses tithes and donations to her ministry to build houses for the homeless, establish facilities for the elderly, give pensions to the poor, provide medical care for the sick, and contribute to major disasters. She sets an example by living simply and asks people to rise above personal greed and raise their spiritual consciousness to give more to those in need and to love everyone unconditionally.

Amma says: "My religion is love." She explains why she hugs people: to allow love to flow like a river to others, touching their bodies, and opening their hearts.

At the Amma retreat, Don and I waited in line with hundreds of people to connect with Amma, and we tearfully received our hugs. As I accept more love in these adventures I am experiencing butterfly highs. I am more aware than ever that I must draw nectar from givers like Amma and also spread the message of love to others.

In my spiritual explorations I have discovered that there is definitely one ideal in all the world's religions and among all spiritual groups, and that is love!