Grace

A fallen redwood: nursery to new life. You can't tell from this picture, but this giant was many stories tall.

Grace. It’s such an amazing/encompassing/undefinable concept that left brain cannot find the words to describe it. So often who we are is shaped by the stories we tell about events in our lives. That's left brain, putting things into words. But who we are is also shaped by our right brains - by images and poetry and experiences. Grace has to do with honoring both...

I can bring grace to myself by not apologizing for Ugly American actions, and being kind to myself when things get really hard. How? By remembering I have a place in the Universe, and that place is not just mine, but that of all of my Village. And, we, as a Village, have gifts to share and receive. Gifts that bring growth. And change.

How do I bring that grace? Connect with that which grounds me, brings me peace, links me to nature. Seek that place where I can’t tell where I end and the rest of the universe begins. Bliss out, be in the moment, be present. Visualize being at the top of a class 4 rapid, my whole world filled by the oars in my hands, my raft, the sheer power of the water. And feel the euphoria, peace and gratitude when I make it through right side up, everyone and everything still intact – this time.

Imagine walking through a redwood forest, sensing the enormity of the community overhead and underfoot, and feeling a part of the timelessness, connected to Universe. Be so at peace I can hear the redwoods’ gentle laughter. Or see myself standing on the beach, at the edge of the continent, water splashing at my legs, feeling the beat of the waves under my feet. Experience being both a tiny speck in an unimaginably large cosmos and having, within me, a spark of whatever life means.

Grace is acknowledging those connections, drawing on the strength and love and light of friends, family, Universe. And it’s replenishing it by providing support and love and caring back. It’s understanding that give and take are both part of the whole, and remembering that it’s necessary to receive sometimes, even though it’s so much easier to give.

Grace moves towards the light. Always. It’s about bringing that journey to the dark places. There are always dark places. It's a lack of judging others, accepting what is, even when I want to change it, then providing a role model of what change can look like. And when life get hard, by going back to times I've dealt with forces of nature - how did I do it? What helped me? If the only way out is through, how do I go through?

Grace means that I feed my own soul; I don’t need others to do that for me. It means remembering that the way to be accepted is to accept myself. It sounds so very simple. Have integrity. Judge not lest ye be judged. Actually living this in a culture where I don’t comprehend the reasons underlying actions is going to be most difficult. Coming to terms with clashes in values will challenge me to my depths.

I’ll give my curiosity full reign. The curiosity that wants to understand the hows and whys and whats. The curiosity that allows, even encourages,  living with the unknown, the unfathomable; with being at ease with chaos. Maybe it will inspire curiosity in others – and with curiosity comes growth. And change.

I'll probably be pondering these concepts the whole time I'm gone. I surely hope so.

(Many thanks to Suellen, energy worker and friend, who took time to explore these concepts with me and give me tools to take traveling).

p.s. For each of us, that place of grace differs, but the resulting peace is the same. Your challenge is to go visit your place... And take the resulting peace to a situation requiring you to be, for however long, in chaos.