"Life is sometimes hard. There are challenges. There are difficulties. There is pain. As a younger man I sought to avoid pain and difficulty and only caused myself more of the same. These days, I choose to face life head-on- and I have become a comet. I arc across the sky of my life and the hard times are the friction that shaves off the worn and tired bits. The more I travel head-on, the more I am shaped and the things that no longer work or are unnecessary drop away. It's a good way to travel. I believe eventually I will wear away all resistance, until all that's left of me is light."- page 133, Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations by Richard Wagamese
I have read the book cited above recently and been inspired and touched by Richard Wagamese's reflections and meditations. They have blessed me immensely in the honest, authentic way he expresses his reverence, transformation and learning from the hard and beautiful 'stuff of life.' This passage was shared with me back in January by a colleague and as I re-read it it really spoke to me.
How I long to face life head-on. To allow hard times to shave off the worn and tired bits. To allow those things that no longer serve me to drop away (instead of triggering me!) How I yearn to arc across the sky of my life like a comet, having the resistance worn away, becoming all light bit by bit!
I have some quiet and space this morning. Sitting here, I'm filled with reverence for the place I am at- for where God and I have journeyed to together! At first I wanted to write- "where God has brought me." But then I paused and really thought about it. It's been a co-journeying. God and I have gotten her by working together. I was not delivered here. It has been a process to get here to this point. There has been wrestling and labour and intentionality and faith and trust tested. But I have not walked this pilgrimage alone; God has been faithful as I have endeavoured to fully live it all. To feel it all. To allow it to better me and not embitter me. To keep my heart soft and not allow life to harden me up!
In the book, Embers, on page 53, Wagamese offers up a beautiful conversation with an old woman who speaks to staying soft. He records the back and forth:
Old Woman: Always be a gentleman , my boy
Me: You mean polite, gracious, humble?
Old Woman: No, I mean always be a gentle man. Act softly and kindly to others and to yourself.
Me: In everything?
Old Woman: Yes. In everything. You don't need to be hard, like others may say. Hard things break. Soft things never do. Be like grass. It gets stepped on and flattened but regains its shape again once the pressure passes. It is humble, accepting and soft. That's what makes it strong.
My lawn is covered in lush grass. It seems to be growing more lately; I marvel at how my dog and I can step on it and press it down and how by the next morning, it is back to its original way again! I would do well to remember this illustration of the grass, along with that of the comet. Beautiful images from nature to spur me on in my life and in this journey.
May we stay and be humble, accepting and soft in the midst of it all.
May we learn from Nature's school, from our Creator.
Amen. Let it be. Amen.
I have read the book cited above recently and been inspired and touched by Richard Wagamese's reflections and meditations. They have blessed me immensely in the honest, authentic way he expresses his reverence, transformation and learning from the hard and beautiful 'stuff of life.' This passage was shared with me back in January by a colleague and as I re-read it it really spoke to me.
How I long to face life head-on. To allow hard times to shave off the worn and tired bits. To allow those things that no longer serve me to drop away (instead of triggering me!) How I yearn to arc across the sky of my life like a comet, having the resistance worn away, becoming all light bit by bit!
I have some quiet and space this morning. Sitting here, I'm filled with reverence for the place I am at- for where God and I have journeyed to together! At first I wanted to write- "where God has brought me." But then I paused and really thought about it. It's been a co-journeying. God and I have gotten her by working together. I was not delivered here. It has been a process to get here to this point. There has been wrestling and labour and intentionality and faith and trust tested. But I have not walked this pilgrimage alone; God has been faithful as I have endeavoured to fully live it all. To feel it all. To allow it to better me and not embitter me. To keep my heart soft and not allow life to harden me up!
In the book, Embers, on page 53, Wagamese offers up a beautiful conversation with an old woman who speaks to staying soft. He records the back and forth:
Old Woman: Always be a gentleman , my boy
Me: You mean polite, gracious, humble?
Old Woman: No, I mean always be a gentle man. Act softly and kindly to others and to yourself.
Me: In everything?
Old Woman: Yes. In everything. You don't need to be hard, like others may say. Hard things break. Soft things never do. Be like grass. It gets stepped on and flattened but regains its shape again once the pressure passes. It is humble, accepting and soft. That's what makes it strong.
My lawn is covered in lush grass. It seems to be growing more lately; I marvel at how my dog and I can step on it and press it down and how by the next morning, it is back to its original way again! I would do well to remember this illustration of the grass, along with that of the comet. Beautiful images from nature to spur me on in my life and in this journey.
May we stay and be humble, accepting and soft in the midst of it all.
May we learn from Nature's school, from our Creator.
Amen. Let it be. Amen.