ASCENSION TOWARD HEAVEN is not a one-time happening. Each footstep on our spiritual journey moves us forward, Spiritward. Every step in the right direction, however inconsequential it may seem, is of consequence, for every step toward Spirit, God, is a step upward and away from the downward pull of mortality.
And in our ongoing spiritual journey, God gives us angels—His spiritual messages—to inspire and guide us. Angels (who actually are not beings with wings as we've so often seen them represented, but are thoughts or messages from divine Mind, God) are always present at every moment to uplift us. They can be recognized, as Mary Baker Eddy described them, "by the love they create in our hearts" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, P. 306).
Often I can tell when an angel has touched my heart with a loving message by the tears of relief that well up in me. "Love is expressing you," an angel message whispered in my thought one day, and I felt a sigh of relief. To me, that meant that instead of striving so hard to express God and His love, I could understand that God, who is divine Love itself, is and always has been expressing me. This angel thought enabled me to ascend that day above the fear that I didn't love enough to help and heal anyone, especially a dear friend struggling with pain. This divine message from God, assuring me and giving me confidence, lifted me above the limitations of a personal sense of love to glimpse divine Love's universal active presence. And as I realized this truth, in turn, my friend for whom I'd been praying experienced healing.
