THE SLOW TURNING OF THE LEAVES OF YOUR HEART
Of course I am waiting for the brilliant flare of autumn. Waiting for that glorious nest of gold and red to sweep me off my feet! Today, however, as I wandered through our spacious gardens of trees it came to me that the slow turning is sometimes missed because we are looking for something a bit more spectacular.
Today let's watch for the slow moments of transformation in the trees and in the heart. For the heart, too, must learn to appreciate the process. Here is a gentle reminder from one of my favorite authors:
...There is nothing in your life
too terrible or too sad
that will not be your friend
when you find the right name to call it,
and calling it by its own name
HASTENING
it will come upright to your side..."
~~Laurens van der Post
Ah! Yes! But you must call it by name! And you must embrace the slow process of the turning leaves of your heart.
Thank you for this reminder to watch for the slow moments. I needed to be reminded of this. It's easier for me to blame "society" for the fast paced world and rhythm of life, but really it's all about choice! I'll join in your prayer to embrace WHAT IS, slow the pace and turn the leaves of my heart.
ReplyDeleteMacrina, One of the poignant things about an Alaskan autumn is that our turnings are never slow. Often they come and go in what seems like a blink of the eye. But now that our "spectacular" is too soon gone, I must look at the beauty of the empty trees and hold with tenderness the memory of that bright flame of beauty that is all the more beautiful because it is ours only for a few days. Love...
ReplyDeleteMy first spiritual teacher gave us an assignment that I'll never forget. He told us in the next week to see how slow we could do everything! It was very difficult for me but very powerful. This is the way I first learned what it means to pay attention to Self.
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