Is God Still Gracious?

Has anyone noticed that a lot of people are talking about their spirit "guides" these days? This may reflect a trend to latch onto something more novel and personal than the almighty God, but holy enough to help us navigate a world that feels like it's coming apart at the seams.

I've been talking to my own guides for almost 30 years, so I'm glad other people are embracing something unseeable but divine operating in their sphere of consciousness, and doing their best to understand how it might help them.

Having been raised in the Greek Orthodox faith, I believe my guides are universal angelic beings. They have no corporal body, but as far as I can tell, they are omniscient and omnipresent.

Communing with anything invisible is deemed very "woo-woo," if not insane. And yet, countless scientists still embrace a bible wherein Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel, who announces the Lord is within her.

Most holy books are compilations of ancient stories of ordinary men or women recounting their own angelic visitations or visions from the heavenly realm. But, today, should someone make such a claim, they are quickly put on meds without question, as if heaven spoke to us only centuries ago.

Today, many of those who've been "touched by an angel" have podcasts, YouTube videos, and Instagram pages with countless followers. Many dispense advice from their guides. In some ways, it is its own "me-too" movement where people share their good experiences rather than bad, but there are also many false "prophets" who've jumped on the bandwagon just to claim their own fame and fortune.

My angels are plural, having only referred to themselves as "We"...I can't put a face to their love and kindnesses nor a name. They don't predict anything, but they know everything with certainty, and if it's important for me to know something about unforeseen, upcoming events, they will drop clues so that I can ask questions and learn more.

Sometimes, they just want me to know something about their realm, or God. Sometimes, it's in response to an issue I'm dealing with or a problem I need to solve.

Yesterday, they simply said, "Yanula," which they've never said before. But this is how they stop me and get my attention.

When they drop in unexpectedly with some word or phrase, it's often while I'm doing something mindless or routine like brushing my teeth or washing dishes. On rare occasions, the word is spoken in Greek—I think just for fun—but since I don't speak the language of my ancestors, I'm forced to turn to Google Translate.

I didn't know how to spell "Yanula" so Google Translate yielded no results. But when I did a general web search, I discovered that Yanula is actually spelled Yiannoula.

The first link in the search results provided a ChatGPT summary: "Yiannoula (Γιαννούλα) is a Greek feminine diminutive of Ioanna (Ιωάννα), itself the Hellenic form of the Hebrew Yoḥanan/Yehohanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious” or “God is gracious.”  I did not know this.

God is gracious.

So what does this have to do with me? I asked this question because I am genuinely curious, and I've learned that most one-word drop-offs from heaven are mere conversation starters.

Much earlier in the morning, I prayed for something I've never prayed for before. "Help me be my truest self and express it outwardly 100% of the time. Help me be more gracious."

As soon as the prayer left my thoughts, a quick response came back—they didn't mince words: "That's not possible when you're exhausted. The brain perceives exhaustion as a threat, much like it does hunger...it goes into fight mode to survive. No one is gracious while trying to survive." Yes, they said all of that word for word, utilizing my capacity to hear their invisible world much like one hears language spoken while dreaming and sound asleep.

Those words, spoken quickly and gently, comforted me. God was being gracious and forgiving me for not being my best self.

Only God is gracious 100% of the time. I am not. No one is. And no one should expect themselves or anyone else to be kind or gracious if they lack food or sleep.

On the up side, I hope to be a bit more gracious after doing my part by getting proper rest and more sleep.

This story is really about my angels' gracious way of making their loving presence known and helping me in the process.

It doesn't surprise me that heaven's presence is becoming more tangible, though unseen. The veil is lifting with good reason. Many have lost their faith. Many feel abandoned by an uncaring god—or worse, a perceived ruthless god. But my experience is one of heavenly love, care, concern, and helpfulness, despite living in a world where too many people suffer from hunger and exhaustion and struggle for something more.

So much is advancing now in society in ways we are not ready for. And much is being lost. We can't underestimate the radical, life-altering outcomes of such changes, including AI, climate and financial disruptions, pandemics, bioweapons, and enemies gaining access to our water supplies and energy grid. 

Like frogs slowly bubbling to death in a cauldron, we've given ourselves over to the will of the world. It's only when the bubble bath starts to feel too hot, too uncomfortable, that we ask for God's help.

Heaven's angels are here now to help anyone who asks for help. They aren't religious, they are humane, and they are of God. Their growing presence and available nature is the truest sign that God continues to be gracious, despite the obvious failings of mankind.