In the midst of all that is happening in our community and the world, it was wonderful to step away and reconnect with Divine love. We all need to pause, I think, in the midst of all that is happening to renew and refresh our souls.
On Saturday afternoon, with about a dozen others, I made my way to a beautiful spot in the woods just outside Clifton. We hiked in, just a little way, to a small falls running into a brook. Beside the brook was a bench dedicated in memory of my friend and colleague, Jay. We had come to this place to sprinkle his ashes and return his mortal remains to earth, the source from which he came. The sun was shining, we told stories, shared readings, laughed and cried.
On Monday I returned to this site to walk a little farther in the woods and explore the wonders and delights that surprised me on the trails. Wood figures, created with imagination and joy, were littered along the way. Apple trees laden with fruit spoke of abundance and nourishment. Nestled back in the woods, across a little bridge I came upon a small wood cabin – a place of rest and refuge for anyone who wanted to stop. I sat for a while in the cabin, signed the guest book and decided that I would return again to this spot at some point for a longer time of retreat.
This morning as I was thinking about this the words from Isaiah rested in my being
“You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and the hills will go before you with singing and the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.”
Joy is, in the spiritual sense, so much more than simply feeling vibrant and happy. It is about a deep contentment within and a connection with something far greater than we could ever ask or imagine. This is the joy that I felt on Saturday and Monday and I was indeed led forth in peace. Creation itself was singing – from the babbling brook, to the chirping birds, the swaying of the trees and the moments of silence. It was a song to ground the being and nourish the soul.
In the midst of all that is happening in our community and the world – the murder of Prabhjot Singh Katri; the rising cases of COVID19 in our province and across the country; the situation in Afghanistan; the natural disasters in so many places that have left people dead or injured or homeless; the housing crisis; and so much more – it was wonderful to step away and reconnect with Divine love.
We all need to pause, I think, in the midst of all that is happening to renew and refresh our souls. From these places we are empowered to move out with joy and peace and add our voices to creations song. In doing so we can affect the world around us and bring light and love.
May it be so
Valerie