Misunderstood & Misfit

I sat in meditation and I asked to see another past life and started seeing scenes from a life where I am male - very large and considered dumb.  It seems that I am unable to speak, am lumbering and awkward and thought to not be able to learn.  I can see that we live in a more ancient time - middle ages - and my family lives in a rural setting - they are farmers.  We are not very well off, but do sustain ourselves off the land.  As I grew as a child and I wasn't like the rest of my family, my parents  felt that it was best for the other children in the family if I was not in such close contact with them.  I was moved to live in the barn with the animals.  My use to the family was for labor only - doing chores and because I was very large in stature I was used for tasks requiring heavy labor.  I was treated like the other beasts of burden on the farm and never received affection or recognition from my family.  However, I found that the needs of my heart were filled by the animals that I lived with, cared for and worked with.  They were more like my family than the humans that lived around me.   I can see that one night there was a fire on the farm and the barn catches fire and I die in the fire trying desperately to save my dear friends in the barn.

We are now at the temple and I ask him what his life has to do with my life today.  He tells me that his condition is in many ways like my current life childhood, where I was not allowed to have a voice and in many ways was used and disrespected.  He also shows me that he received the care and support that he needed from others rather than his family and this has been true for me today as well.

When I ask what the soul was learning in this life he shows me that the soul was learning about love.  That even though the life story may be difficult that love is found in even in the most unexpected ways and from the most unexpected sources.  The soul learned what it feels like to be seen as limited and a misfit; giving an understanding of those that seem different and expanding the heart to be compassionate even to outcasts.