Every month I go on retreat for my Spiritual Direction Certification program with Kairos School for Spiritual Formation (http://www.on-the-journey.org). The retreat is hosted on the some very Sacred Land (Jesuit Center in Wernersville, PA). The first time I drove onto the Land, I fell in love. Such beauty. Such tranquility. Such Sacred power to transform all who walk there.
Every month, I walk the Land. I arrive and am greeted by the Land and I, in return, greet Her offering Her my gifts/blessings. I wander the Land in conversation with Her. I sing and talk to Her. I listen to Her speak to me. Sometimes she whispers. Sometimes she speaks loudly and clearly.
This past month, I walked the Land on my birthday. I asked for blessing for the year ahead. I asked for vision for where my work would take me. I walked. I wandered. I noticed. I listened. I heard one thing clearly, “I will give you vision through paint.”
I have an artist friend, Damini Celebre, (http://creativeworks.daminicelebre.com) whose work is just that. She walks the Land and allows the Land to paint through her. Her work is powerful. I went to speak with her and ask her to visit this Land. As we talked she asked me why I am not doing it myself.
One word came forth, “Intimidation.” I am intimidated by that idea. Sure, I can open myself to intuitive painting in the studio. But allowing the Land to paint through me. What if I do not do it right? What if it does not look good? What if I can not open myself fully to this Land that I love?
And there it is: my unfreedom!
The unfreedoms of our lives want to keep us small, contained, safe. They want to prevent us from growing, transforming, becoming who we are called to be in this world.
I am being asked by a Land I love to open myself fully to Her Spirit and allow for this immensely deep blessing to be given to me. Yet, I feel intimidated by that prospect. I have allowed for my unfreedom to keep me small.
The question I am now asking myself is: Will I allow my unfreedom to keep me small, to dim the brightness of my Light? or Will I let go of this unfreedom, find the courage to risk my heart and step more solidly onto my life path?
I ask you:
What are your unfreedoms? How will you respond to them? Will you allow them to keep you small? or Will you let go and risk your heart?
Love! You spoke to me in this. Perfect timing to release this for me to read:)
ReplyDeleteKristen, I am so happy. Over the next few weeks I am going to continue this reflection upon releasing our unfreedoms.
ReplyDeleteLOVE, LOVE, LOVE that photo!!! "Walking the land and allowing the land to paint through you"….now, that's new to me! I DO know the sacred power of land. I'm grateful that this JC land has spoken so powerfully to you. It has spoken to me, too, over the years. Many prayers have risen from those who traverse this land!
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