UNITY UK
  • Home
  • About
    • What is Unity UK?
    • Who are we?
    • Beliefs
    • Prison Outreach
    • Thought for the Week
    • Newsletter
  • Daily Word
    • What is Daily Word?
    • Subscribe
    • Become a Daily Word Sponsors or Patron
    • InsideDailyWord
  • Prayer
    • Request Prayer
    • Prayer Resources
  • Events
    • Calendar >
      • Daily Word Prayer Meetings
      • Midday Prayer Services
      • Evening Meditation
      • Monthly Service
      • Book Club
      • David Davenport Hour
      • Art and Gratitude Class
      • 30 day Gratitude Challenge
      • Retreats
  • Workshops
    • Workshop with Rev. Maggy Whitehouse
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Unity Centres
    • Safeguarding
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Welcome pack
  • Joining unity on zoom
  • Education
  • Donate

Unity's Latest  Blog

dumbo-the courage to be

17/6/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
At a recent service, I illustrated my talk with the story of Dumbo and was subsequently asked if I would write a thought for the week about it. So, here goes….

Dumbo, as I’m sure you all know, was an elephant that was born with very large ears. So large, in fact, that he kept tripping over them! Sadly, folks from the circus where he lived started taking the mickey out of him and his mum, Jumbo, tried to protect him, got very angry and was locked up as a ‘mad elephant’. Dumbo’s best friend and mentor was Timothy, a mouse. Disney clearly had a sense of humour in choosing a mouse as elephants are supposed to be afraid of them – maybe a message for another day. 
 
Timothy and Dumbo went to see Jumbo but managed to drink water that a bottle of champagne had fallen into – inevitably they got drunk. When they awoke, they found themselves perching on telegraph wires (I love that scene with the wires bending down to almost breaking point). Timothy quickly realised that they must have flown there. However, Dumbo did not believe he could fly so, some rather bemused crows gave him a ‘magic feather’; then, Dumbo could fly.
 
The scene changes to the big top with Dumbo launching off a high platform but, you’ve guessed it, Dumbo drops the feather and starts plummeting earthward to certain death. Imagine the scene as Timothy cries out to Dumbo that the feather is not magic, and that Dumbo can fly. Dumbo hears Timothy, flaps his ears and swoops back up to soar around the tent – Dumbo really can fly.
 
The point here is that Dumbo doubted himself and needed a prop for his confidence. However, when the prop disappeared (do you remember learning to ride a bike and then your parent letting go?) so did the confidence. But, for Dumbo, the still small voice of Timothy rang out – this is the voice and power of Love. Dumbo had Faith, he trusted his friend and followed what that still small voice told him. Then, together with his innate Strength, the Love and Faith combined to give Dumbo courage – The Courage to Be! The courage to be himself, to live his Truth and he soared…he soared into the sky of belief that is always there for us all. The very same Courage to Be that Jesus had when he rode on that donkey into Jerusalem.
 
Have the Courage to Be and we can all soar to ever greater spiritual heights.
 
Paul Mapletoft
Licensed Unity Teacher


0 Comments

    Author

    Unity in the UK 

    Categories

    All
    Affirmation
    Affirmative Prayer
    Celebrate
    Celebrate Yourself
    Courage
    God
    God Is Good
    Grief
    Healing
    Inner Light
    Jubilee
    Letting Go
    Meditation
    Podcast
    Possiblities
    Prayer
    Rev Kimerie Mapletoft
    Self Care
    Self Worth
    Spiritual
    Spiritual Community
    Stillness
    Story
    There Is Only Love
    Twelve Powers
    Unity UK
    Wholeness

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    September 2020

    RSS Feed


Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
    • What is Unity UK?
    • Who are we?
    • Beliefs
    • Prison Outreach
    • Thought for the Week
    • Newsletter
  • Daily Word
    • What is Daily Word?
    • Subscribe
    • Become a Daily Word Sponsors or Patron
    • InsideDailyWord
  • Prayer
    • Request Prayer
    • Prayer Resources
  • Events
    • Calendar >
      • Daily Word Prayer Meetings
      • Midday Prayer Services
      • Evening Meditation
      • Monthly Service
      • Book Club
      • David Davenport Hour
      • Art and Gratitude Class
      • 30 day Gratitude Challenge
      • Retreats
  • Workshops
    • Workshop with Rev. Maggy Whitehouse
  • Resources
  • Shop
  • Unity Centres
    • Safeguarding
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Welcome pack
  • Joining unity on zoom
  • Education
  • Donate