a grievous task

As I sat in my living room last night and listened to a friend talk about her experience reading the book of Ecclesiastes, one point in particular stuck with me. It was a phrase she mentioned regarding “this world we must live in until the resurrection”. What I heard was “until heaven gets here, we must endure what is before us.” NO. My internal sensor yelled. I don’t just want to endure and I don’t want to wait. I want to live and I want to experience heaven here and now! Is it possible? I say, YES! (Not, of course, the sugary sweet, angels floating on clouds & playing harps thing ☺).

“And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of man.” Ecclesiastes 1:13

Seeking and exploring “all that has been done under heaven.” What? Seeking and exploring. Broadening our horizons. To see. To see much is grievous. To live in the dark, is that any less grievous? It hurts to have our eyes opened to the world.

It is a grievous task to seek all AND it is glorious. It is in the seeking and exploring that life happens. Not in simply enduring until the end of the journey. The seeking and exploring speak to heaven and hell on earth. Both/and. So when we take on this grievous task, it is severe and serious. It demands great skill (or at least desire) and resiliency. We are tested and stretched. We must become flexible so that we may bend without breaking. Flexibility defined says that after bending we may not return to our previous shape. (I believe in most cases that is probably not a bad thing.)

It is in the seeking and exploring that we become flexible and more present to “all that has been done under heaven.” Sitting and waiting can atrophy us. (Please know, I am NOT talking about contemplation here.) We become rigid, unchanging and ineffective. To avoid this, we must move. We must journey. Up and down the winding path. In and out. Fluid like the water of a flowing river. It is the journey in which we are cleansed. Washed. Nearly drowned at times. Making splashes by refusing to be complacent. Shedding tears of beauty and tears of sorrow. Journeying with wisdom through the grievous task set before us.

Let us not simply endure and wait. Let us choose to live and experience life here and now.

floating through this life

"as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creative Spirits deep embrace."

--Denise Levertov (found in "Praying with the Elements)

God is a process. Hmmm. Not sure from where those words popped out, but I think I'll let them stay. Yesterday's quote spoke of being a work of art in process. Recently, images of floating feathers have been appearing to me with some frequency. I did not notice that until I wrote a new pantoum while working with my collage. I realized that my previous pantoum also had the line "floating through this life" in it. There is also a very small feather in the collage. Hmmm. Well, I think I will stop here for now as there seems to be more pondering to do.

gratitude. grace. falling in love.
can you look or will you close your eyes & weep
for grace & compassion
a blanket of roses and deep green slumber

can you look or will you close your eyes & weep
falling. running. floating. splashing.
a blanket of roses and deep green slumber
the rose of conviction

falling. running. floating. splashing.
floating through this life.
the rose of conviction
gratitude. grace. falling in love.

photo by bill

a masterpiece unfolding

What would it be like if you lived each day, each breath, as a work of art in progress? Imagine that you are a masterpiece unfolding, every second of every day, a work of art taking form with every breath.
-- Thomas Crum

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yes, it is September 11 and, yes, I assure you that I will spend a great part of my day honoring the events of 9/11/01, and, yes it is MY birthday. Some might say that a woman of my age (which I will not disclose) should be traded in for a newer model. Forget that, I say!! These are the best years of my life! I hope you will join me in celebrating and fill my comment box with Happy Birthdays!!! (hint hint)

Best wishes to my readers whoever and wherever you may be!

Creative Challenge

Christine at Abbey of the Arts has a way of getting my creative juices flowing. This time it is through a challenge issued by Magpie Girl. The assignment is to take a photo and alter it. Mine took on the form of a collage. I began my thinking too much and planning it out...the results are in an unfinished crumple on my desk. Then I just started ripping away at a couple of magazines. (I gave myself a short time limit and let the images find me.)

My creative time allotment for today is nearing an end, so I can't spend as much time with this image as I would like, but I have a feeling it has lots to say to me. I'd love to know what you see. And if you're up to it...take the challenge here.

collage by lucy