After I graduated from college, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the West African country of Burkina Faso for two years. It was a terrific experience, shaping my understanding of the world in meaningful ways and providing opportunity for much personal and spiritual growth. As part of the close-of-service process, volunteers are required to undergo a thorough medical exam. Not long after I arrived home, I received an envelope from the Peace Corps containing a letter stating I had tested positive for a certain waterborne illness. It also included a packet of paperwork to get the medical treatment covered by Peace Corps. I became quite fearful on reading this news. I was living with my parents at the time, but I didn’t say anything to anybody. Instead, I took the envelope and went to a quiet part of the house in order to calm my thought and listen for what God was communicating to me.
Almost immediately a very clear thought came to me that said: “They made a mistake; they sent this to the wrong person.” Of course, it was my name and address on the envelope and my identifying information on the paperwork. But I recognized that thought as a message from God telling me that the news contained in the envelope had nothing whatsoever to do with my, or anyone’s, true spiritual identity.
Spiritual being is completely beyond the reach of error’s would-be attacks.
