Soul Purpose
I was preparing for a session of Spiritual Direction with someone, and went to the book "Visual Journaling: Going Deeper than Words" by Barbara Ganim & Susan Fox to see if there was something I might need that day. I found "Discovering your Soul Purpose." I felt called to sit and see what would come up. This picture is what happened...there are several images that have come up over and over for me. The snail, the sun, the heart (double counting the one in the sun), and the mermaid. And then there's teeth on the heart and tail. The more I look at this image, the more I see. It leads me back to the poem I wrote many years ago called "Breathing Water." I found the second part of that poem. Contact me if you would like to read it! This picture represents a step in my own healing work that means I am breathing freely. The hurts and pains that I have carried around for years. I said to my own Spiritual Director the other day that my prayer life is whatever I am called to at the time. I am truly blessed that art is part of that! And that I can help share this with the world. It is beyond my wildest dreams! Thank you Lord! Thank you Mother! Thank you Jesus!
In a spiritual direction session, to have such a beautiful piece come out for her, was exciting (for both of us)! I requested to take a picture to show on my blog. Isn't it amazing? Over and over, having shown people this work, I'm constantly amazed at the power of the healing work! This work is for the world!
About a month ago, I worked with a group of women at The Nest: Center for Women, Children, & Families, for their Relationship Recovery Workshop. There wasn't a lot of talk but I hope you agree with me, their art is powerful! There are issues of safety and sharing the work for them. Issues I hadn't thought of before. I am cautious about asking people to talk about their work, especially where trust is an issue. I hope to be able to go again! Thanks to Elizabeth Morton for bringing me in to work & meet them and to the women for allowing me to take a picture of their work!
I am busy sewing for my daughter's wedding in June, but after that, this fall I will be looking for places to bring more healing work.
I am so grateful to be able to share with you!
My prayer for this next period is one of my favorite prayers from the book "Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle" by Ted Loder. It's called
Loosen My Grip
O God, it is hard for me to let go,
most times,
and the squeeze I exert
garbles me and gnarls others.
So loosen my grip a bit
on the good times,
on the moments of sunlight and star shine and joy,
that the thousand graces they scatter as they pass
may nurture growth in me
rather than turn to brittle memories.
Loosen my grip
on those grudges and grievances
I hold so closely,
that I may risk exposing myself
to the spirit of forgiving and forgiveness
that changes things and resurrects dreams and courage.
Loosen my grip
on my fears
that I may be released a little into humility
and into an acceptance of my humanity.
Loosen my grip
on myself
that I may experience the freedom of a fool
who knows that to believe
is to see kingdoms, find power, sense glory;
to reach out
is to know myself held;
to laugh at myself
is to be in on the joke of your grace;
to attend to each moment
is to hear the faint melody of eternity;
to dare to love
is to smell the wild flowers of heaven.
Loosen my grip
on my ways and words,
on my fears and frefulness
that letting go
into the depths of silence
and my own uncharted longings,
I may find myself held by you
and linked anew to all life
in this wild and wondrous world
you love so much,
so I may take to heart
that you have taken me to heart.
Bless you Ted Loder!
