Vision Carrier

A friend recently told me I was her vision carrier, that I believed in her dream, and it gave her the courage to believe and work toward it, too.

I think we are all called to be vision carriers for one another.

A vision carrier does more than just believe in others' dreams, though.

A true vision carrier holds up a God-mirror, revealing each person as God sees them. For it is only when we can look upon ourselves as God looks upon us that we will have the courage to step out, to believe, and to live fully and joyfully in our dreams.

Reflections of the Moon

Reflections to a friend last night while looking at the beautiful full moon:

The beauty of the full moon on a clear night ENCOMPASSES the world. There is joy everywhere and in everything. We have to look harder to see it in some places, but it’s those troubled spaces that give us a chance to grow our souls, so we can appreciate the moon moments even more.

And don't fear for the young who have yet to experience their own dark nights, for they will grow into their souls in their own ways.

Unfurl Your Wings

Where are you taking me, Lord?

"To love & wholeness & joy & deep satisfaction. Why worry, child? It only clouds your spirit. Give me your worries, just put them in My hands & let them go. They are not yours to hold.

"Unfurl your wings & let them beat, for they beat in time to My heart, which is the pulse of the Universe. Fly, child. Fly.

"Love. Don't hold back. I will provide the governing - trust me, & love."

Go Forth as a Fierce Messenger of a Wild Joy

What do you have for me, Lord?

The response: "In this time of holiday celebration, go deeper. Reach inside the season."

I see an explosion of glittering red. Red for sacrifice. Red for passion. Red for wild joy. I see glimmering shards of deep red Christmas glass, each one capable of piercing the human heart with a fierce joy that changes the way we view the world, that changes the world itself.

I am pierced. My heart is torn as the shard enters. The blood, my blood, nurtures the sharp sliver of glass. My heart becomes a womb which quickly bursts forth with the birth of a new batch of glimmering red, shooting through my body & out my fingers & toes.

"Go forth as a fierce messenger of a wild joy - shower others with shards as well, so that one may pierce through each heart and they in turn may be seized by fierce joy. It is joy and love that conquers the world."

Soaring with the Spirit

What would it look like to let go completely, so stop trying to use my own frail strength to forge the godly relationship? I picture the Spirit holding me back to belly, her arms gently & safely around me, as we soar above the earth together - looking down upon the world in mutual delight, pointing out to each other trees, flowers, rocks, people. Delight. Total delight.

That's how we are supposed to live. Held in the unfailing arms of the Spirit, buoyed into a lightness of being that allows us to delight in God's creation, in communion with our Deity, full of love & joy.

The Mighty Mountain of God

I picture God as a mountain. There are many paths already worn up and around this mountain: major paths like Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism & Islam, as well as less-worn paths. Most of us choose a path whose entry point is near us – Christianity in the West or Hinduism in India, for example.

Those who say, “I will forge my own path to God,” rarely ascend beyond the foothills. It is a lofty goal to strive to be in the trail-blazing company of Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad & others. The danger of ‘my own path’ is that it is very difficult to forge a new way. It is much more likely that we will miss out on most of the journey by giving up while still on the gentle slopes, after using up our energy hacking through thorns & brush. ‘My own path’ is usually a short track that leads only to a shallow spirituality.

Agnostics refuse to step foot upon the mountain, reasoning that because they cannot see the summit, they cannot commit to a path that claims to climb. Atheists spend their lives with averted eyes, claiming that the mountain does not exist.

The rest of us scrabble blindly upon the mountain on our hands & knees, unseeing but determined to forge ahead. How blessed are those saints who light the path for us, at least for a few steps! They illuminate, for a glimmering moment, our journey’s end: granting us a vision of beauty, love, hope & joy, & giving us the strength to clamber on.

Enjoy the Harvest

What do you have for me, God?

He replies, "It's the season of harvest. Relax & enjoy! Look also for opportunities for spiritual harvest, for they will be present." I sense that God desires my joy. To be pleased & excited with the gifts of the harvest touches Him deeply.

God chooses to need us, and our delight pleases Him above all else.