Petra [Page 14]

Page 14

  Now, Mai began to explain how, due to the finite number of inhabitants on earth, Petra's Uncle Pierre could also be shown to be a distant relative of her present physical self. The next person, she was to meet, would be much closer on her family tree, only a few generations back, on her mother's side.

   "Back in the 1830's, when Mother Megan was your age, she was attracted to the teachings of Joseph Smith", Mai began. "She joined his little group of seekers. You might say she is one of the first Latter Day Saints. "

   "Ooh, I think I remember seeing a painting of her at Granny's house!", Petra chimed in.  She had the longest braid. I often like to wear mine that way too.  Gee, a Latter Day Saint, I picture them as being kind of up tight and straight laced. "

  "I heard that"  announced the materializing matriarch, Megan. "And the picture you describe is of much later Saints. The group that I was a part of was very much interested in expanding our spiritual horizons."

 

   "Oh yes," Mai volunteered, "we call that the Ring-Pass-Not.  It's like the outer limit of what an individual can accept as being possible."

 

   "Yes, that's it.", Megan continued.  "And, in our day, we stretched our rings farther than most of your hip New Age followers ever had to."

 

   "Sounds like serious work." Petra said.

   "Oh, my darling grand baby," Megan said as she took Petra's hand and looked lovingly into her eyes.  " We had our serious moments, mostly in dealings with non believers, but true seekers are always rewarded by ever increasing amounts of joy and freedom.  The path to light will make you lighthearted.  My group knew how to have a good time and I was no exception."

   "I'm sorry", Petra volunteered, "I think it's just the dress, now, that gives the impression of being old fashioned."

 

   "Oh, I don't know about that," Megan countered, "when you think about it. We humans have been on this planet for hundreds of thousands of years.  During most of that time we scarcely wore clothes at all. It's all relative, you see, what's a few hundred years out of a million.  On that scale, my outfit is every bit as modern as yours."

 

   "I see what you mean.", Petra conceded.  But, her attention was now being divided, as Mai kept making subtle hand and face gestures which suggested that they might have a little fun, testing the flexibilities of their ring-pass-nots.

  "In the Grand Eternal picture," Megan continued, " we are all perpetually becoming something greater.  On such a seamingly infinite scale, even the Masters, like Jesus and Buddha, are so close to  us that they are like our own brothers.  Even He, that we call 'God the Father', is in the process of growing.  He mastered physical life on another planet, in what could be called a previous incarnation of our Solar System.  Millions of years ago, He came here to earth and became the first Adam, the Father of all humans on this planet."

 

   "He is called The Ancient of Days", Mai added, "and his light is so great that few humans, on this planet, can look upon His face."

 

   "Yes", Megan returned.  "Our ring-pass-nots are a two sided shield.  They may limit what we can believe possible, but they also protect us from receiving more of the picture than our undeveloped selves can handle.  When a Master works among men, He will appear as one of us, outwardly, so that we may accept Him."

 

  With that, Petra and Mai became as one, nodded their heads three times in unison and closed their eyes.  When they opened them again, Megan's nineteenth century garb had become decidedly more contemporary.

   "Oh my!", Megan exclaimed.  "This doesn't even cover as much as my undergarments did.  But, I'm glad you did it.  I feel more like just one of the girls now.  Turn around, dear, and let me braid your hair."

 

   Petra spun around instantly, delighted to have the opportunity to bond with a great grandmother, that now felt like a sister to her.  While Megan braided, the girls talked about what the boys were like, in the nineteenth century, and of going dancing.  Then, Petra was amazed by what Megan next told them.  Megan explained, to them, that Joseph Smith was, in a previous life time, Merlin, the teacher of King Arthur and before that, he was the disciple Peter. Furthermore, Petra had been closely associated with the twelve disciples, the knights of the Round Table and the original Latter Day Saints and that the members of those groups were all very pleased to see her back in their number.

  "I...then...now....you mean...," Petra stammered, for she could hardly think of what to say.  The thought that she could have been a part of that history or of a history in the making, was making her feel giddy.

 

   Mai sensed the rising joyful tension and announced, "Let's dance!"  She clapped her hands and the courtyard was filled with shimmering colored lights and the pipe organ in Petra's room began to play the most delighfully invigorating music.  The three began to dance as the music and light seemed to penetrate to the center of their being.