Sometimes, one doesn’t know what one needs until that elusive thing has been found. And then, when the unrecognizable hunger has been satiated, the soul sings with delight.
That’s how it was yesterday when I arrived at King’s Park on my way to the labyrinth. Even before I reached the labyrinth, I felt the resounding “Yes!” ring through my body. I walked through the flower garden, smelled the roses, heard the twittering of birds, felt the warm sun and the cooling breeze on my face, and knew that I had come to that place where my soul meets God.
This place – the labyrinth and park that surrounds it – has come to mean so much to me. It opens my heart and my mind. It lifts a shadowy veil from my eyes. It helps me see the world anew. It gives me hope and restores my faith.
It is like an anchor – a safe place in the storm.
I have been reading Artful Leadership by Michael Jones of late, and I have been reminded of how crucial silence and solitude are in the work of a leader, artist, or, frankly, anyone who wants to live more deeply and mindfully. We all need to find our places of stillness where our hearts can sing and we are silent enough to hear God speak.
If you haven’t found one of those places lately, what are you waiting for? Go, seek, and find. Rest, be still, wander, breathe deeply, take pictures, write in your journal, pray, listen, whistle – do what you need to do to feel alive and whole.
And then, when you feel that surge of energy and hope in you anew, whisper a prayer of thankfulness for the beauty that surrounds you and the beauty that is in you.
And don’t forget to read between the lines on the petal of an iris – you might be surprised what secrets lie hidden there.
p.s. if you are new here, you might enjoy this little video I made about the labyrinth last year.