Very little grows on jagged rock. Be ground. Be crumbled so wildflowers will come where you are. You have been stony for too many years. Try something different. Surrender. ~ Rumi
I love this poem by Rumi. It speaks to us about drawing from all that is good within and bringing it to life. To be open. To be receiving. To surrender to the goodness in life that can seed when we allow ourselves to really show up in grace.
Recently a friend shared with me how alone she felt when she was going through her divorce. While she had a solid community to draw from up until that point, she didn’t feel as if anyone would understand what she was going through. She withdrew, no longer sharing what was going on with her friends, her family, or her extended community. She felt that she needed to be “strong” all on her own. She put up walls and guarded them with her rock-like defense system. Now that that experience is behind her, she can see the illusion in her approach and how much easier her transition would have been if she had let others in.
Whether in life changing events or our daily routine, staying open can be challenging. How open do we allow ourselves to be with others? Do we wall ourselves off from the world, feeling like no one will understand? What bits of information do we withhold because we feel we will be judged, no longer accepted or loved?
Whether it as at work, personal relationships or just interacting with the barista serving us coffee, Rumi reminds us to try something different—to soften, to crumble, allowing cracks to form that let love in. When we are open and receiving, we create an environment for potential. Like with crumbled ground, we allow something beautiful to grow.
Awakened Faith, Learning to Live the Lord’s Prayer in the Spirit of Christ is now available on amazon.com. Please follow the link to be taken to the book.
Bright Blessings,
Mary Clare