In God this is a good book! the author converses with what many refer to as Higher Self, a reflection of his highest consciousness. As Rich Work says in the preface,
"Messages from your highest self never tell you what to do, but empower you to make choices from a broader perspective. They expand your awareness of the world around you, stretching your imagination and giving you new viewpoints to awaken the multitude of possibilities."

"Oh Wise One, what is the greatest act of love?"

"O gentle soul, define love."

I could see it coming. I knew better than to ask a question like this without first doing my homework. "Love," I said cautiously, "is when two people meet and are attracted to each other in a way that is difficult to describe in words. It probably would be described differently by different people."

"That is true. Many talk of love, but most have yet to truly experience it. If you were to explain love to another, how would you begin?"

"I guess the best place to start is with the dictionary," I said as I reached for mine. Love: A deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness. A feeling of intense desire and attraction toward a person with whom one is disposed to make a pair; the emotion of sex and romance, passion. An intense emotional attachment, as for a pet or treasured object. A person who is the object of deep or intense affection or attraction; beloved. Often used as a term of endearment."

As I read this aloud there seemed to be an emptiness in the words. It was incomplete. "There is something missing," I said.

"O gentle soul, many have tried to describe love, but your language is inadequate to encompass its full meaning. Yes, your dictionary offers a few thoughts that you can use as a reference point, but even that falls short. Love is more than words. Love is something you are, something you experience. Love is the very essence of life. Books have been written and songs have been sung, but it is the embodiment of the energy itself that best describes what you are asking about.

"You have asked, what is the greatest act of love? The answer to your question might differ from person to person depending on their experiences, but I shall share one with you that each person upon your Earth can experience.

"In the life of each individual there are parents, friends, loved ones and, for many, children. Individuals become attached, creating a strong bond between parent and child. Friends create bonds through life experiences that sometime seem inseparable. There is nothing wrong in creating the bond of love, but the bond of attachment can stifle the very bond of love that you cherish.

"As a child grows, the soul chooses to strike out on its own. The greatest act of love parents will ever give their children is to let them go. As parents pass on, the greatest act of love their children will ever give them is to let them go. As friends move onward in the journey of their souls, the greatest act of love you will ever give them is to let them go.

"This may be one of the most difficult challenges many people will ever face. Parents, friends and children have been the focus of their life. 'What will I do if I let my loved ones go?' they might ask. 'If I let them go, I will have nothing. It is for them that I have given everything.'

"By holding onto the emotional bond that ties you together, a departed soul is held on the Earth plane, unable to continue its spiritual journey and growth. The child matures, but is unable to be free to express itself and explore the totality of all it is and can be. The emotional bond becomes a prison beyond which a person is unable to move. The emotional bond is stronger than any rope that man will ever devise. Many will tell you they have no idea how to let go because of their fear of being alone or abandoned. But I assure you that by holding on, you suppress the very person you claim to love. And in letting go, you will find the divine creation in the person you love. And as you do, you will never be alone again."

The greatest act of love you will ever give the ones you love is to let them go.

Releasing Bonds

From the Divine Love that flows through my Being, all Souls that I call forth this day,
it is my intent that all aspects of their Souls, and all aspect of my Soul be present,
and that this reflect through all Time and Space and Beyond.

I call forth [name] to stand before me as I stand before you, in Love.
I ask that you forgive and honor me as I forgive and honor you.
I embrace you in Love and I thank you for the lessons we have shared.
I now choose to release you and embrace all bonds between us
into Unconditional Love.I bid you go in peace.
So be it.

The selection above is reprinted with permission from God this is a good book by Rich Work.. Rich is also the author, with Ann Marie Groth, of Awaken to the Healer Within, and is facilitator of "Mastery for Life" courses and "The Art of Tranformation and Empowerment." Rich and Ann Marie are to be keynote speakers at the Unity World Health Symposium in Unity Village, MO, September 10-12.