Today was the hard day of the retreat. God is merciful in that first I experience the warmth and love of God's presence, and then I deal with the realizations that stretch me. Hard.
I remember the fun of stretching when I was 10 and in ballet class. Now stretching involves listening to my arthritic joints crack and complain. The fact that it is good for them and they will feel all the better for it means nothing mid-stretch. It just hurts.
Spiritual stretching can hurt, too. Letting go can hurt (crack). Embracing change and new understandings can hurt (groan). Settling into acceptance can hurt (ouch). Knowing that my soul will feel all the better for it means nothing mid-stretch. It just hurts.
And then after my stretching sessions I settle into the loving arms of God and rock by this window, watching the birds and trees and never-ending sky. I put a spiritual ice pack on my sore heart, feel the warmth of the quilt around me, and know that all is well.
Today my "truth - love - time" mantra got a second verse: "trust - pray - be."
Indeed.
Watching the evening rush at the moving bird bath outside my window - and offering thanks,
Kim
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