Shining Spirit

Do you see it? Look closely…very closely. I’ll give you a hint. Look in the middle of the photo and look for something colored yellow. Now do you see it? Yes, that’s it. A little yellow wildflower refusing to be swallowed up by chaos and confusion. The ground rock is very thick in this part of the landscape, and the randomly placed rocks cover the soil almost entirely. Then add a layer of those white beans shaken from the local trees in the most recent violent wind storm. But in spite of it all, one little yellow flower said to the world: “Even in the midst of the storm, when the trees shook until they broke, limbs littered the streets…even then, beauty will not be denied.”

Good lesson to learn, don’t you think. Beauty thrives under any circumstance. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. In tough times, frightening times remember the yellow flower and the life-giving message of Jesus. “I am with you always…” Don’t be afraid to bloom. And do so with a grateful heart and a prayer of thanksgiving to your Creator.

A flashlight doesn’t make the darkness go away.
In fact, it makes the darkness darker.
Turn the bright light off and it is
blacker than before.

Eyes don’t adjust quickly. It takes time.
Time in the darkness. Time within the darkness.
Time as part of the darkness. Patience, too.
You don’t rush seeing in the dark.

Hazards and obstacles live in darkness.
The chair leg whispers to the ceramic pot:
“Here he comes. Watch this.”
It’s hard to muffle a scream caused by
a twisted toe caused by a chair leg in the dark.

But if you can make it from the bed to the sofa
without twisted toes or bruised legs,
sit in the darkness, eyes open, looking into
black nothingness, and wait.

It will happen. Black turns to hazy gray,
silhouettes appear, indistinct lines define
boundaries, maneuvering is manageable,
chair legs sigh with disappointment.

Things become clearer when you wait
in the darkness, become more fully
aware of surrounding circumstances,
look, listen, take it all in, sometimes even
redefine routes and routines.

Hurrying through darkness blindly
usually produces bad results. There
may be land mines out there.
Seeing in the darkness, on the other hand,
is the result of conscious waiting,
tolerance of the moment
and redefinitions about
the way to proceed.

A very fine day is about to be born,
away with all malice, hate and scorn.
You take my hand and I’ll take yours,
fling open the windows, unlock the doors,
let’s welcome in this Mysterious Guest
who brings in her hands the very best
hope we have in this broken world.
Welcome our guest with banners unfurled,
music and dance, a feast for all,
picnics and parties, a formal ball.
Do you understand what’s happening here?
A remarkable moment is drawing near.
A very fine day is about to be born.
Blow the whistle, sound the horn.
No day has ever been like this before.
O, the joy we have in store!
Fling open the windows, unlock the doors.
Dawn is about to appear!

Sight unseen and yet everywhere.
If I cannot see it, is it not there?
So often my eyes are not able to see
the Presence that dances and swirls around me.
Is it Love that fans the flame in my heart?
From where did it come? When did it start?
Why are there days when I feel so alone,
my heart is heavy, the weight of a stone.

Sight unseen and yet everywhere.
The Mystery moves on a longing prayer,
hands raised to God, my desperate plea.
It’s then I sense something close to me
like a warm wool blanket on a cold winter night.
I am held by arms beyond human sight.
A new heart beats within my chest,
courage, like a shield, confronts the test.

Like a child who sits on her mother’s lap,
curls up, contented, for an afternoon nap,
I trust in that which I cannot see
for at times it is so real to me.
So real that I could touch and feel
the hand in mind, love now revealed
in the sweet taste of life, Spirit air.
It takes eyes of the heart to see God everywhere.

Skyshapes. Celestial art. Creative imagination.

Gratitude