Words of Wisdom

“The simple rose, at each moment of its slow blossoming, is as open as it can be. The same is true of our lives.” - Mark Nepo

I recently heard this quote on a podcast with Parker Palmer/Carrie Newcomer and was struck by it's profound and powerful wisdom.  These words invite us to let the truth of nature sing and speak to our lives.  We can get caught up in wanting to race and run through the stages of growth.  We are always longing to be at the next place.  Our phone pings with breaking news taking us out of the present moment or our calendar dings reminding us we need to leave...now...right now...okay now you are five minutes late.  The texts and emails pile up.  

Some of the difficulty with slow blossoming is being present.  It is hard to notice what is right around us when we are being pulled and pushed in all kinds of directions by our to-do lists and phone calls and countless other things all demanding our attention.  Some of the difficulty with slow blossoming is a world that keeps moving along with pressures that cause our shoulders to slouch and souls to stir uneasily.  Some of the difficulty with slow blossoming is the reality of comparison.  As an author once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." When we look at what our neighbors or friends on Facebook/Instagram or anyone else has in relation to us, our rose of a life often seems closed or cluttered or chaotic.

The quote also suggests that where we were yesterday was exactly where we needed to be.  We don't need to hold onto the pain of regret or remorse.  I said or did that thing two years, two months, two weeks ago, because that was where I was.  You don't hear a rose bud saying, "Everything will be so amazingly awesome when I finally open."  Or, "I can't believe how closed off I was two days ago, that was so childish of me."  Humans have a unique ability to criticize ourselves to the point of harm and hurt that won't heal.

What do you hear in this quote?  How might it give you permission to be who and where you are right now?  Not holding the past or fearing the future, just being and breathing in the present?

May those questions open you to more than a trace of God's grace in these days!

Blessings