I have said before and continue to quote Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who was a French philosopher and Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist who said, "We are not human beings having (trying to understand) a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience." So by honouring your spirit you honour that which is most sacred, caring for yourself. Being in relationship with yourself is important. Understanding yourself is key to living a well balanced and caring life.As you walk the path of your own life and travel through the deep freeze of your own emotions you will ebb and flow in your spiritual awareness. We are seasonal beings here in Canada traveling through cold temperatures and changing times. We travel with Mother Nature as she protects that which is her own. Withdrawing into the darkness of winter the very sap of each plant to envelope it in the warmth of the earth. Trees look dead but we know they are sleeping, resting and refreshing themselves to burst forth in the spring. We as human kind trust in this phenomena, this evolution of our home and our planet. We never doubt that spring will come the question often simply is "when?"
So why when we are emotionally in the dark, in the winter of our lives do we lose hope that spring will come? This is a time when we are most vulnerable to spiritual growth and a time of change in the very fabric of our being.
In a dark time, the eye begins to see - Theodore Roethke
Barbara Brown Taylor in her book "Learning to walk in the dark" talks about how the dark is a frightening place where few dare to enter. However, she notes on page 112 how going into the darkness of a cave physically taught her that the darkness of her own mind can be physically over come when one takes the body someplace dark. As she enters the "wild" cave she says, "The idea scared me, which made it a good opportunity to practice courage." It takes courage to go into the darkness of our grief, loss and pain. It takes courage to be vulnerable and let others see we are in pain. It takes courage to admit to self you are scared. However, realize when the ego bonds with the fear of the spirit and the brokenness in life spiritual growth is paramount.
Only she [he] who is ready to question, to think for self, will find the truth. To understand the currents of the river, one who wished to know the truth must enter the river! - Nisargadatta, Indian mystic, born 1897
Come journey with me ..... take the first step, dip your toe in the water ... and take the plunge!
