Let us offer each other a sign of peace…
Growing up I would often find myself daydreaming. These daydreams did not produce images you might be inclined to think. Rather, I had an image in my mind and whenever I closed my eyes, I would daydream of the secret of life….
It was always the same image, even as each year passed and I grew up. This retreat into my thoughts brought me great peace. Whenever asked – what would you like to be or do ? This very image (which invoked more of a feeling than anything else) had me reply in much the same way, time and time again no matter who did the asking.
My reply was simple:
Being old, wearing my sun hat and just planting flowers sipping tea in the garden warmed by the sunshine. It was that simple.
No bells and whistles.
No list of accolades and awards. Nothing ornate and fancy, that was not my image of peace or life but rather this beautiful image was.
It was just bliss.
Feelings of serenity and a beautiful life full of love.
I have to admit, oddly enough, after all that day dreaming in my mind’s garden, I am not a gardener (in fantasy land I am a rock star at gardening) but still to me this secret garden, strewn about with all its wild flowers, conjures up a feeling of peace and takes me immediately away to places unknown.
Or is it?
Unknown I mean?
God plants in us the longing, this eternal yearning for him. The search for simplicity and order. For color, breadth and life. These longings and yearnings, these daydreams are sparks of the Divine within us, calling us, pointing us to and giving us peace….
Calling us to him.
We can arrange our outside world as much as we like often in a forced simplicity and order and often we rearrange it again and again, yet we find ourselves still longing.
Still searching.
Restless.
Tending the garden.
Our heart and soul is speaking to us; yearning to be simplified, to dig into its garden and find peace.
No rearranging the outside of the cup will ever do that.
Being a grown up now, I am grateful in knowing that it is God who planted that image inside of me when I was little and it is God who continues to draw me into that garden again and again still sowing its peace. That little girl longing has never left me but the closeness of the Divine has indeed grown.
I offer you His peace.
Amen.
Joanne Carey