When I wake up in the morning, I do a body prayer. It ends with me on my knees, kneeling forward so that my head is touching the floor in front of my knees. (For the yoginis out there…the child’s pose). Yesterday, when I did my prayer, I stayed in that balled position for quite a while.
The bigness of the devastation in Haiti heavy on my mind and in my heart…I think “Lord…I feel so small.”
There was a time in my life that I could have easily retracted into that smallness and stayed there, and trust me the temptation is still there plenty. But ironically for me, going back to that place of smallness also opens a door to something so vast that words would never fully capture it. I use lots of word symbols to try to convey this vastness…God, Divine, Source, Creator, Universe….most assuredly even these are too enormous to grasp. But they at least point to this vastness in ways that allow others to relate.
So there I am in a small ball of humanness when the vastness replies back that I don’t have to big to be powerful. I don’t have to move mountains. I have to believe that mountains can be moved...
Reflecting on that, I remember the small seeds that Jude and I planted to grow spruce seedlings the day before. My thought at the time was who would think that something as huge as a spruce tree can start off as small as a tiny seed the size of a grape seed. We have spruce trees that are almost 100 years old in front of our home. Looking at the seed and the trees that tower over our home at the same time was mind shifting. Never the less, we planted those tiny seeds with the expectation of a tree growing…and that is the way my prayers need to be too.
I pray with the expectation that my small feeble effort is heard by vastness and transmuted into something big and powerful. Today, I am intentionally using small things (eating, drinking, making tea) to serve as a reminder of how blessed I am and also to serve as a prayer for needs of the Haitian people. Then my life becomes a prayer by scattering my small seeds where ever I go.
Inspiring seeds that I am watering:
Craft Hope for Haiti
Earthmama's Walking Meditation
All Buttoned Up's Plea for Haitian Orphans
Shivaya Natural's Etsy Shop (opening wednesday)
Indie Fixx's Silent Auction
Our Hearts Go Out to Haiti Fortune Cookie Sale
Green Acre's Heart to Heart Care Kits
Awake is Good Meditation for Haiti (towards bottom)
Through the Eyes of a Yak Hearts for Haiti Project
Please let me know of the other inspiring seeds out there...let's be inspired together.
Inspiring seeds that I am watering:
Craft Hope for Haiti
Earthmama's Walking Meditation
All Buttoned Up's Plea for Haitian Orphans
Shivaya Natural's Etsy Shop (opening wednesday)
Indie Fixx's Silent Auction
Our Hearts Go Out to Haiti Fortune Cookie Sale
Green Acre's Heart to Heart Care Kits
Awake is Good Meditation for Haiti (towards bottom)
Through the Eyes of a Yak Hearts for Haiti Project
Please let me know of the other inspiring seeds out there...let's be inspired together.
Those are some good thoughts! I've got something for Haiti in the works...I'll letcha know when it's firmed up!
ReplyDeletethe seed cannot become the spruce on it's own. how can it ever be small? how can anything or anyone be small?
ReplyDeleteit's systems theory. everything is connected. it's without qualification.
you've got me thinking... that's very good.
I love your thought on believing mountains can be moved. We are small, but we still have the power to think big, REAL BIG. Thanks for including me in your inspiration! I can't wait to see those spruce seedlings pop up!
ReplyDelete;)Lisa
This morning I am thankful that He's got the whole world in His hands.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, your words are so beautiful. Thank you for including me in this post, and most importantly, thank you for giving me a little seed of hope this morning
ReplyDeletethis is such a peaceful thought. i need this pretty bad right now. yesterday, while i did a little peace walk, kind-of inspired by earthmama's post, my little mantra for the walk, was about believing in the light and the love. and whenever i'd stray from the mantra, and then realize i'd strayed, i'd ask myself again if i believed in the love and light again. and i'd ask myself to find it. find it. find it find it. focus. geez. it's amazing how tricky it can be. i ran into a deer, and she was so in the moment. not working her butt off like i was to find the moment. she was so fresh and beautiful. a teacher on my walk. maybe i need to go eat some grass.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful thought to start the day. Thank you for sharing...
ReplyDeleteThank you for this simple sharing... expansive.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a time of great reflection for us all. I am glad that we have each other as sounding boards.
ReplyDeleteI am still working out the details for my Haiti effort...but here's a sneak preview!
ReplyDeletehttp://beinglds.blogspot.com/
It is easy to feel small in all of this isn't it? This isn't an online thing, but a local dance company is throwing a benefit performance and dance party with a Haitian band in my city (Boston) on Saturday night. There are no tickets, they are just accepting donations. I'm quite excited to go!
ReplyDeletethank you so much for including my link.
ReplyDeleteyour blog is very inspiring and one i read daily. thank you for being......
Thank you, Elizabeth, for your beautiful words. Amen! And thank you so much for including the link for the Hearts for Haiti project.
ReplyDeleteyour inspiring post brought tears to my eyes...thank-you for sharing
ReplyDelete