How do we approach challenges in life when there are looming decisions to make?
Today let's reflect about how ominous those decisions can appear and also how very real our current everyday life is in comparison.
So let's take a moment and set aside the manifold distractions and all the to-do lists.
Get a comfortable sitting position on a chair with your feet flat,
Maybe sitting cross-legged on the floor or even lying flat on the floor.
Feel the pattern of your breath.
Gently reach up and out,
Rolling your shoulders to a neutral position and let your hands rest on your thighs or clasp them together.
On the count of four,
Take a deep slow breath from your belly,
Pause at the top and exhale out of your mouth on the count of four.
Then breathe in through your nose and pause and exhale.
In through your nose and pause and exhale through your mouth.
What was the sort of winter storm best spent indoors that night with a mug of hot chocolate and a delightful book?
It was an evening when no one was out and all the cars were parked safely out of the way of the snowplows.
The flakes fell large and light,
Obscuring visibility after a fraction of a mile.
But I was not in the mood to sit passively by a window watching the storm play itself out.
Too many thoughts danced inside my head.
No matter how I sat or breathed,
I was anxious.
What should I do?
My position would be coming to an end in a matter of months.
How would I support myself after this?
Bundling up against the cold,
I set out for a brief walk in the falling snow.
The wind was whispering and the snowflakes collected on my scarf,
Icing over where my breath met the cold air.
The snow crunched with every step beneath my boots,
Vainly promising to be there to guide me back.
Without much thought,
I found myself near one of the piers of the town's harbor on Lake Huron.
While on land the snow fell gently,
There the dark waves thrashed against the massive water breaks.
Spray and snow mingled,
The roar of the water crisp against the silent winter's night on the land.
Standing near that boundary of silence in the watery din,
I pondered.
What in your life brings you peace as the falling snow?
Loved ones,
Work,
Friends,
Crafts,
Travel?
What also seems turbulent or fearsome?
How often do we get distracted by the crashing waves in life?
Hearing the power of the open water,
Do we neglect to remember our feet on solid ground?
Do we gaze on the horizon of the unknown and forget the many blessings that undergird our daily lives?
Yes,
The waves are very real,
But so is the silence of the falling snow.
Turn back from the stormy waters,
Back to the silent snowfall.
Notice that the footprints that led you out here are nowhere to be seen.
We must return a different way than how we came.
Breathe in that clear air,
Looking for the many blessings in life that support you.
How a different life can look in a wintry night.
Wear your boots crunching in the snow as you return home,
That place of warmth and security.
Yes,
The uncertainties of life persist.
However,
Let s wait for a calmer day on the lake to approach the unknown if we can.
For now,
Let s walk home through that snowy night and arrive in our kitchen to a fresh cup of cocoa,
Lovingly prepared for you.
When you are ready,
Open your eyes,
Roll your shoulders,
And arise to continue your day.
Peace to you,
Dear friend.
