Beyond Ordinary: Hanging On for Hope
Most years after packing up and storing away the Christmas season, I find a remnant decoration or two or three. It amuses me when I find one. Usually I put the decoration in a drawer designated for the decorations I missed. Yet, I resist putting this one away in the drawer. I see this elf every day from my morning meditation chair, and the elf makes me smile. I am not sure why I haven't put the elf in the drawer.This morning, I asked the elf, "Why are you still hanging on?"The simple answer is that the elf makes me happy. It reminds me of my children. I hear their laughter. I sense the playful tension that arises during rivalry football games. I smell the vanilla and the sugar in the tea cakes we bake, and I giggle at the messy countertop dusted with flour and errant sprinkles that didn't make it on the cookies. Whether five-years-old or twenty-five, decorating tea cakes is a messy undertaking. The elf agrees.This morning, the elf asked me, "Why are you still hanging on?""Hmm, good question," I thought.After my morning meditation, it was time to unpack the question. I noticed there was a tightness in my chest that invited me to explore the idea that I am hanging on to something that is heavy and filled with sadness. This part of me looks at the elf and wonders, "Where is my smile? What am I hanging onto that is keeping me from smiling"?I sat with this feeling for awhile, welcoming the tightness, the heaviness, the sadness. I was a bit surprised with what emerged. The chaos of the impeachment trial, the frenzy of the media, the appalling emergence of hate crimes, the dreadful increase in gun violence in the US that leads to empty chairs at the table. This all makes my heart hurt. I pray. I lift these burdens to God. I ask God to lead me to places where I can make a difference.Squirrel! Empty chairs. My attention shifts to the empty chairs at the table. It doesn't take long for my smile to emerge filled with the hope of more sprinkles to be spilled, more meals to be enjoyed, more laughter to fill the silence. My heart feels joyful as I share my concerns with God and embrace the hope God desires for me.I wonder what you are hanging onto today that is keeping you from smiling. I wonder what holy hope is hidden within you that is waiting to emerge and restore your smile. This is the freedom God desires for you. Take some time today to listen to your heart and embrace what emerges. It is an invitation from God to look beyond the ordinary.I think it's time to make some cookies. ;-)With a grateful heart,Lil
