When Faith is Missing 2/5/22

 “No mud, no lotus” Thich Nhat Hanh

It happens. All is well until it’s not. I can suddenly find that the sunlight has disappeared, the wind is whipping up, the sky’s gone dark, and I’m barefoot in a mud pit. I can’t see which way to go, I’m tired, I’m disillusioned. If I can’t see my way out, what do I do? I feel utterly alone. I want to be rescued, but I’m beyond help. Even my Higher Power is missing. Do I burrow in the mud? Wait it out? That seems like a good idea, since there is no way out.

I feel the mud around my feet and wiggle my toes. There is an unexpected pleasantness in how it feels, so I take a step. I take action by moving, being careful to avoid rocks and other obstructions, but still moving. In the tiny steps, my Higher Power is experiencing what I’m experiencing - the Creator experiencing Creation. I don’t feel so lost and hopeless; I can’t see it yet, but by moving, I’ve invited Light in.

I willingly step into the sudden downpour, aware that I’m being cleansed of all the mud. It’s still dark, and I’m not sure where I’m going, but I keep at it. Slowly I see the tiny wildflowers that were there all along. As I notice them, I see other beauty - in the rocks, in the cloudy sky, in the rain, even in the mud.

I know now that what I’m feeling is Hope. 

I am willing to keep moving.

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