At Home in the Midst
This warm winter morning beckoned me for a walk, surrounded by woods, fields, and nature’s creatures.
I noticed a thick mist ahead and felt the pull of my desire to be within the white. Lost in thought, headed into the milkiness, I approached my destination only to discover that my sight was clear. The experience I expected did not manifest.
In momentary confusion, I looked back to see that the road upon which I travelled was now obscured.
The mist touched every place but the circle in which I stood. I paused for a moment to breathe in the moist, still air. I engaged the present moment and the clarity it offered. Blind to what was behind or in front of me, I realized the benefit of clear sight when I was present, aware, and engaged with my body and my environment.
When I consciously joined the moment I was standing in, clarity arrived.
I’ve heard that sage advice many times: “be here now.” Yet, how often have I traipsed through my days trailing behind my mind which was peering into a murky future? Or getting lost in the mental mist of memory reconsolidated?
I took the opportunity to look into the forest, alive with a melodic stream, busy birds, and scampering squirrels.
Apparently, while I was cocooning indoors, the natural world had been actively preparing for Her perfectly timed reemergence. I don’t know why I was surprised that tiny seedlings had grown into small pine trees. Or by the evidence of greenery, flowing water, and new life everywhere. Perhaps the snow and persistent gray February skies in New Jersey had dulled my senses and distorted my memory.
Nature has always demonstrated how capable She partners with the evolutionary impulse.
Years of sitting, playing, and meandering in Nature have revealed so many wisdom lessons. I never had to look far to witness the emergence of Her latest work of art. Throughout cycles of seeding, nourishing, emerging, blossoming, and deteriorating, the natural world’s creative unfoldment has always been trustworthy. Laying down a Map of Wisdom for those with eyes to see and senses to clearly perceive the harmonious movement of Life.
Yet, Nature doesn’t need an audience to do Her thing.
She seeds, grows, dies, and rests to a rhythm so persistently harmonious. Nature’s emergence isn’t dependent upon social media “likes” nor does it require those seeking fresh air to stop and smell the roses. That’s why Nature’s wisdom is easy to miss. Especially when closed away in our homes, busy schedules, and distracted lifestyles.
As I walked, I pondered Life’s innate potential for perennial growth and the creation of beautiful spaces.
My sight was clear, as was my mind. Walking with my body, rather than racing ahead or lagging behind, a revelation emerged. It seemed new, like a seedling breaking through the soil, rather than an old intellectual understanding.
I, too, was a natural phenomenon.
Imbued with an innate ability to grow effortlessly and create beautifully in every cycle and season.
Alert and aware, I recognized that I could walk blindly through the obscurification of a distracted life. Or choose to pause within any moment and breathe myself back into my body and the space it inhabited. I felt a subtle shift with that awareness.
As if my quantum substructure rearranged into new flowing patterns of harmonious light.
Honoring my innate trustworthy nature would allow me step out of my murky mind mist and show up within the midst of this Holy Moment. With Nature’s gentle reminder, I became more aware of myself as a trustworthy participant within this evolutionary process.
Relaxed and aware, I walked slowly within these natural, magical surroundings.
Gazing at the milky whiteness before me, I stayed present to the crisp clarity all around me. With ears to hear, I enjoyed the rustle of the wind and the crunch of tiny feet upon the leaves. I imagined tiny shoots of green just below the surface, biding their time and gathering their energy, before sneaking up toward the light. And I remembered what I have known all along.
I was at home in the midst.
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
HeartWarming
News
Nearly all of Ethiopia’s old growth forest has disappeared. This film tells the story of Ethiopia’s church forests. They are pockets of lush biodiversity that surround hundreds of churches. Consciously created with people working to protect them. This short film tells the story of The Church Forests of Ethiopia. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fGe-CPWZlE&feature=youtu.be
