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| God is... |
After being invited to give a talk at a Schlitz Audubon
Nature Center, Spiritual World of Nature program, I remarked, “I will look
forward to preparing for it since I always learn so much in the process.” As the date is now just around the corner
I was hoping for some of that past enthusiasm to get me started formatting my
upcoming presentation titled, “Does Nature Speak to You?” The offering description states I will
share how I overcame difficulty “… by watching, waiting, and trusting in the
healing messages God sends through others and the natural world.” Reading that description left me
feeling flat and uninspired until I understood the critical missing spark. Every day for three years, during a
very difficult time, I sat down and reflected on the joys, sorrows and troubles
of that day and briefly wrote them down. Those words had power. They put perspective on my troubles, which gave me just a
little distance from them so I could be open to God’s healing messages. Those words formed a holy trinity with
others and the natural world where God speaks.
In my presentation preparation I recalled a quote from my
past work life as a Public Affairs Specialist for the USDA Forest Service, by
its founder Gifford Pinchot. I am just
a little unsure if this is the exact wording. I believe he said, “There are
only two things important in this world, people and natural resources.” I goggled quotes by Gifford Pinchot and
could not find it among them. I
think it should be. And I am
recalling at the end of my blog post last week titled "Ask, Seek, Find" I related Carolyn Baker’s
telling in her book, “Reclaiming the Dark Feminine,” the importance of ritual
and how returning to our indigenous selves reclaims our connection to all
things and one another. What could
that look like today? There is no
shortage of material for reflection.
My Audubon presentation description ends with “If nature
speaks to you spiritually you will have a chance to share your insights and
experiences.” I look forward to
facilitating that sharing for we are all better off when we all share.
What if we were all open to learning from one another?
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