Having finished my creation stick, I stepped out for a prayer walk through Creation’s Bible. I rarely complete the art before ever writing one word. It seemed that my creation stick was leading the way.
Water had obviously washed the dirt out from under a tree. I was reminded of times when I felt as if life had swept my grounding away and I was grateful that Sacred within had sustained me.
I looked at the tree’s roots, some of which were no longer protected. It felt like we were joined in prayer, for I too, knew what exposed nerves felt like. I was glad that I had finally let go of the expectations of protection that I had heaped on others.
I stood looking at the tree and wondered if the same water that washed the soil away would rush through, once more, bringing new soil. Probably not. I contemplated again, for the umpteenth time, the gift of inspiring others without the shadow of placing expectations on them.
I continued hiking and the sound of a raven caught my attention. He invited me to fly. As rooted in logic as my fears had been, it was time to let go and live into a quiet, but persistent call.
I raised my arms like a charismatic finding Spirit for the first time, responding in a yes dance. I enjoyed the whoosh, whoosh of the raven’s wings that added a confident drumming beat to the melody rising up in my heart.
The joy remained as I began my return home. I passed the newly discovered tree and leaned back into her gnarly roots. Surely they were the very arms of God. I wanted to rest there longer. It was peaceful, like home.
The tree had grown around a rock. She called me to reflect on her rock and mine. Many of my beliefs had morphed or changed over the years, but the one constant rock was God’s Infinite Love.
That night, the experience with my creation stick lingered. I lay my head on the pillow and watched the clouds slowly move across the sky, as if unveiling a performance of the universe with an occasional flickering star.
I smiled at the many hidden surprises in life. The stars continued winking at me, as if to say, “Now that you have let go of your expectations of others, you are free to choose life when facing theirs.”
Creation’s Bible taught me this: We have a lot more power than we think. When I loved myself enough to do the hard inner work of facing shadow, I loved others enough to be authentic in my responses, whether yes or no.