The Covid vaccination has granted me some freedom, so I’m in Texas this week. On Easter Sunday morning, I found myself in one of my favorite “churches”–the woods of Hamilton Green Belt, near Austin. With her usual abundant grace, Nature preached the perfect sermon for me.
The green leaves just beginning to peek out of trees that endured a paralyzing February storm showed me what rebirth looks like. So much died in that storm—plants, animals and people. The forest shows us how to be resilient, how even though separation can be painful, the gift of letting go is growth.
I made my way to what I call the river. It’s just a creek, really. But it’s a place that fills me up when I take the time to sit and just be. The lessons here were perseverance and flow. Nothing stops water. It might freeze, but underneath the surface it’s still teeming with life. Water always uses just the right amount of energy—it moves slowly or is still when it can be, and is raging when that’s required. Water always knows exactly how to be. And it always prevails.
There is a Beautiful Chorus song called The Waves We Give inspired by a Bruce Lee quote. I often wake up with this song in my head. And, of course, it came to me Sunday as I sat by my “river.”
Be like water, my friend.
You shall find a way around, or through it.
When nothing within us stays rigid.
We decide the shape we’re in.
Empty your mind.
Be shapeless, formless; like water.
It can flow or it can crash.
And we design the waves we give.
Winter was long and harsh, as well as the fall, summer and spring before it. There were losses and challenges, large and small. You shall find a way around, or through it. When nothing within us stays rigid.
And lessons…so many lessons to be grateful for. We decide the shape we’re in.
Spring is here and life begins again. And we design the waves we give.
Amen.
