Last night I had a revelation. My skin was thirsty. It hit me that I had put off giving it what it needed (moisturizer), because I couldn’t find the “right” lotion and I hadn’t made it a priority to look for it. I just kept thinking “later, later”. Well, eventually later came and my skin soaked up that lotion like a parched desert soaking up raindrops! And it struck me that perhaps that was an analogy for my spiritual growth. I wait for just the “right” practice, just the right time and find myself often saying “later, later.”
And then other analogies for my spiritual journey began to arise:
What if the journey is like the deer that startled me by following me on the trail? I didn’t expect it, didn’t even watch for it, and suddenly it was there like a beautiful friend, walking with me.
Or maybe it is like bringing applesauce to eat halfway through that morning hike. Most mornings, by the end of my walk, I start taking little shortcuts. I am tired. I don’t feel I can continue on the path laid out in front of me. But this morning, I brought some “fuel”. And! I had that extra bit of energy to finish strong.
Maybe it’s like being so focused on the obvious, worn path I’ve been walking that it comes as a true surprise when I’m forced to take an unexpected detour - that the detour is WAY more beautiful than the path I had thought was the right one.
Could it be like taking my socks and shoes off when I get home, sitting in my Adirondack chair, feeling the cool breeze whisper around me?
Could my spiritual journey be like my toddler being excited to see me for the first time in the morning? A warm hug from my husband?
Could it really be that the spiritual can be compared to or reflected in any of those mundane daily activities?
I’d love to hear what it’s like for you - where do you see God? What is a good analogy for your spiritual walk?