Re-energize the Soul

It is that time of year again when we are all getting into the rhythm of summer slow down. The weather is starting to feel more like summer (unless you happen to be in Newfoundland!) and most of our groups have had their final meetings until September.

Walk Along the Ocean Floor

Tomorrow morning I, too, will be heading to rest on the banks of my beloved river and enter into a time of renewal. When I think of rest and renewal my mind always turns to the creation that surrounds us and the beauty that is there that can flood the soul. This past week I had the opportunity to experience some of that wonder as I spent some time with my brother in spirit and his wife exploring some of the wonders of Nova Scotia. We took one day to travel down the South shore and explored places like Chester, Oak Island and Lunenburg and another day we walked the ocean floor at BurntCoat head. It was amazing to see these things again and to see them also through the eyes of those who had never been here. There were moments of amazement, wonder and joy! For me, the greatest moment was to take off the sandals and walk the ocean floor – the red mud of the Bay of Fundy covering your feet and feeling connected to something that knows not the boundaries of our daily life.

Stop! Take a Step Back to Re-energize the Soul

Sometimes, when we are caught in the rhythms of our daily existence we fail to see the beauty that is around us. Sometimes we are so busy moving that we cannot even feel the earth beneath our feet. Sometimes, the simple things like smelling a flower, or the breeze blowing through your hair, are lost in our compulsion to get things done. The work we do, whatever that happens to be, is important and contributes to the life that we are privileged to enjoy. However, it is also important to stop and take a step back, to re-energize the soul and to appreciate the gift of creation that reminds us we are part of something greater than ourselves.

And so…..

May you breathe the beauty of summer with its power of transformation. May this beauty permeate all that feels un-beautiful in you.

May you seek and find spaces of repose and may these moments refresh and restore the tired places within you.

May you be open to times of celebration and recreation and find happiness in these times of play.

May your eyes see the wonders of summer’s colours and may these colours delight you.

May you feel the energy of summer rains penetrating thirsty gardens, golf courses, lawns and farmlands and may these rains remind you that your inner thirst needs quenching

May your inner self be refreshed, restored and renewed.

And may you enjoy the unexpected and find surprises of beauty and happiness all around you.

(based on a prayer by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr in “The Circle of Life”)

Blessings
Valerie

© 2018 Rev. Valerie Peyton Kingsbury. All rights reserved.