Just as while swimming in an ocean, we are surrounded by the ocean, every second of our lives we are surrounded by the ocean of God’s love. Yet, like a fish searching for water while swimming in the sea, we search helplessly for God.

Why is it that we are unable to experience God’s love when we are surrounded by it? It is because our attention is not on God.

Saints and spiritual Masters offer the technique of meditation as a means for us to open up to the treasure house of divine love that is around us and within us. Let us take a closer look at one of the obstacles that keep us from opening up to God’s love.

If we observe ourselves throughout the day, we will realize that we are often living in the past or the future; always thinking of what happened to us in the past, or planning or worrying about what will happen in the future.

The solution for thoughts of the past and future is to stay in the present or current moment. Every second we have an opportunity to be in the current moment. If, instead, we fill it with thoughts of the past or future, the current moment is wasted and is gone forever. We can never get the present moment back.

If we can stay in the current moment, then thoughts of the past and future will stop. We will be able to be at the still center in which we can connect with God’s love within. We can immerse ourselves in God in the current moment.

There are two switches for our attention: one is the switch to be attuned to our soul and the other is to be attuned to our mind. The solution for the thoughts that the mind sends us is to be able to separate what thoughts are of God and the soul, and what thoughts are of the mind.

We need to learn to be vigilant when the mind is distracting our attention either in meditation or throughout our day. Distractions from the mind tell us we have more important things to do than to meditate, engage us in activities that keep our attention on the world, or make us dwell on the past or anticipate the future.

Thoughts from the soul are those that lead us to God. These thoughts remind us to meditate, to lead an ethical life, serve others selflessly, to love God and all creation.

Additionally, when we sit to meditate and experience God’s love, we need to sit in a surrendered state, with a still mind and total receptivity to receive the love of God pouring on us at all times. In this way, we will not be struggling to find the ocean of God, but instead will be consciously bathing in the bliss of full immersion in God’s ocean of love.

Our job is to still the mind of thoughts of the past and future, lovingly accept and embrace whatever comes our way. Our job is to focus into the middle of whatever experience is coming to us. As we become more absorbed, we will be pulled further and further inside, and with time, we will experience the great Ocean of Love that we are swimming in at all times.