Now that you're here,
Settle in.
Get comfortable.
If it's possible,
On an inhale,
Bring your shoulders up to your ears.
Now on an exhale,
Slowly,
Gently circle those shoulders down your back.
And let's try and keep them there,
Shall we?
Take a deep inhale and exhale.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
A friend recently shared with me a saying that the Portuguese have.
God writes straight on crooked lines.
Let me repeat that.
God writes straight on crooked lines.
Before we begin,
It feels vital to acknowledge that God language does not work for everyone.
And let's be honest,
There are so many reasons not to believe in something greater.
But if you are at least comfortable with considering something more out there,
Then we can explore this saying.
God writes straight on crooked lines could mean that the divine is this through line,
Moving directly from now to next,
From here to there steadily and with beautiful purpose.
This can be contrasted with most of the rest of us.
In our lives,
We might simply need to move from here to there to walk next door to a neighbor's house,
If you will.
But do you do that?
Not always.
You might drive to the airport,
Get on an airplane to Australia,
Sea kayak over to New Zealand,
Climb aboard a steamer that rounds the Cape of Good Hope,
And,
Well,
You get the idea.
All we have to do is move from point A to point B,
But we go all over the place instead.
God writes straight on crooked lines might also mean you get distracted.
Ooh,
Look,
A white butterfly with black-tipped wings.
Let's follow it to see where it goes.
Or you get mule-ish.
Don't you dare tell me to go left.
I shall go right.
Or you set the cruise control and forget to pay attention,
Sailing right on by your destination.
Or if you are anything like me,
You keep saying,
But I want to go back.
Please let me go back.
God writes straight on crooked lines might also mean that you probably won't get it right the first time.
You might not get it right the 86th time.
And by get it right,
I mean you might be human.
That glorious mess who is just doing the best you can.
And this,
For me,
Is where we can really get a hit of hope from this saying.
God writes straight on crooked lines means you do not have to be perfect.
You can mess up,
Even royally.
You do not have to know what to do next.
You can be awash in uncertainty and fear and stumbling around and around in circles.
But it's something beautiful to consider,
Isn't it?
That the divine is this through line,
Moving with energy and purpose from here to there.
From now to next,
Pulling our messy and shining authentic selves along.
Maybe kicking and screaming,
But still pulling us along to something greater.
Namaste.
