Soul Listening II
Photo by Susan Izard
Dear Soul Friends,
It’s moving week. After weeks of organizing and packing I can hardly recognize my home of thirty-five years. Boxes occupy almost every room and the rugs have been rolled up and sent off to be cleaned. The plants that had once filled the living room windows with color and life are now with my daughter waiting for their new home. I feel a bit like the toad in the photo as I poke my head out the front door and watch the movers pack the truck. One part of me is rooted in what was, and the other is leaning toward what will be.
It doesn’t take packing up and moving to have that feeling. We are always becoming the people we were meant to be. But sometimes life invites us to take a leap of faith and hop out of our familiar way of being and jump into the unknown.
Some years ago, I felt called to walk the ancient pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Something inside me was drawing me toward a deeper understanding of my spiritual journey. Although I knew the road would lead me to Santiago, the path itself was mystical. Each turn opened new and enchanting vistas. One cold, rainy day, I slogged for miles through a wet and soggy wooded trail, pondering what brought me there. Another day, just as the path crested a mountain pass, rays of sun broke through the clouds, blessing the valley below. On the day before entering Santiago, a tiny village church beaconed me to enter, and I found myself hushed by the simple beauty of this sacred place. Sunlight fell across the stone floor, guiding the way to the altar, where a humble statue of the Madonna and child sat, welcoming the weary pilgrim.
Sitting quietly contemplating my journey, I was reminded that wherever we may be soul and Holy Presence are guiding and nurturing us. When we open our hearts and rest in a moment of stillness, soul shows up.
Poet and spiritual guide Mary Oliver said,
Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.
As you travel through your week, may you find a moment to rest in your soul and let it guide you. May you be blessed by the comfort and knowledge that you are encircled and surrounded by Loving Presence.
Deep peace to you,
Susan
