“During tough times, take soft moments.” Author Unknown
Today two blue jays landed in the grass on my front lawn. Bright and beautiful against the brown, wintery landscape. I watched them for almost ten minutes before they flew away. Silence pressing on my ears, tears welling in my eyes. The air is thick and heavy with grief right now. The blue jays make me think of summer and sisters and God. Do you ever think about God? I do, especially lately.
Sometimes I wonder if the divine can reach out and touch you if you are not quiet, if you do not get lost in the stillness of the woods sometimes.
Sometimes I wonder if God can find us when we are constantly battered by the noise that comes in through the phone, the TV, the radio, the daily bombardment of things to think about.
I couldn’t tell you who or what God is, not really. I just believe there is a divinity within us, around us. There is some “other” beyond my knowing.
I think there's so much mystery to the universe that we live in, so much that is unexplained and we crave connection to the mystery. Even though we have the need, the drive, to explain the unknown, we can’t always do that. There are just some things that are mysterious and unexplainable.
There are just some things that are senseless and heartbreaking.
There’s a deep desire in my heart to sit with the unexplainable. To sit with the mystery. To stand silently next to the senseless. To learn to be with it. It’s easy to let TV programs, YouTube, Social Media fill up the space in my heart and my head with noise that distracts me from the unexplainable.
No matter what kind of God you believe in or what kind of worship you practice, without stillness I don’t think we can find that divinity. We need to create stillness to allow divinity to rest upon us.
Today is the shortest day of the year in my part of the world, the winter solstice. Today the sun will rise at 8:28 AM and set again at 4:30 PM. The darkness creeps in and just stays. I think the darkness we experience in life is also an invitation to be still. To find a quiet place and rest in the soft moments.
A moment of stillness to allow the tears to fall. To hold warm cups of tea. To cry with gratitude at the kindness of people this holiday season. To hold the paradox of joy and deep sorrow in both hands, hands outstretched to God in prayer.
Nature moves through these cycles of still darkness, and the winter sun itself appears to stand still for three days. In fact, the word ‘solstice’ comes from the Latin word ‘solstitium’ which means “sun stands still”.
If you are also experiencing a tender and sorrowful holiday season, be still with me. Take some soft and still moments. Read some poetry. Maybe write a little too. Turn off the noise and stand still. Look for the hand of God/Creator/Goddess in the colors of the sunrise. Sit on your front step and feel the cool winter air resting on your skin. Hold a cup of tea in your hands and rest.
The winter solstice is a pivotal moment - when the sun begins to move again it means the light is slowly coming back, and just like the sky turns brighter, your heart will feel lighter, in time.
For now, if times feel tough, take soft and still moments for yourself. The light is coming back.
Thank you for joining me this past year for the light and the dark, the ordinary and the extraordinarily beautiful. With deep gratitude, I've made a couple poetry printables for you to which you can find here: Solstice Poetry Prompts
Now, here are some soft moments that have been helping me through this very heavy time of year, in case they bring you some stillness too:
In the light of my loneliness tonight-- the world casts shadows sullen, as though absorbed in early rain-- the way starlight hangs, shadow of black and falling up --holes that could break shatter down, not old or infallible --lonely-- and i live somewhere beneath God's curtain
May the light always fine you, may you find soft moments and stillness this holiday season.
Oh this is so beautiful, thank you so much for sharing my meditation as well. Love that quote at the start as well - really simply reminds exactly what is needed. x
Beautiful reminder to turn toward the mystery, be still, and IN life. And thank you for including my piece. Here's to sweet sorrows . XO