Summer Blessings

July Blog by Anne Butts

Summer is a mix of blessing and challenge for me.  I have two grandchildren, ages 6 1/2 and 20 months.  When they visit I feel the excitement of their energy and curiosity.  However, there is not much that they can do safely or harmoniously together unless they each have an adult with them.  My granddaughter wants the freedom to run off, and my grandson wants to be held.  I don’t run well carrying 25 pounds on my hip.  So time in the park or pool is a mix of trust and caution with both children.  How far away can my granddaughter wander and how much will my grandson tolerate being put down.

In my spiritual journey I am sometimes the curious wanderer and sometimes the frightened child.   I may find a new form of prayer or a writer that stirs the holy longing in me to find my way to the Source of All.  I know that I have the freedom to explore other faith traditions and wisdom while still rooted in my own faith tradition.  The challenge in that exploration is the loneliness. There are times I want to be held in acceptance when I question new ideas and insights on my spiritual journey.  I want the harmony of free exploration and the comfort of solid truths.  Who doesn’t?

How blessed I feel to be able to sit quietly with others at Centering Space in reflective prayer and know that I will be given the freedom to “run off” while having the comfort of loving hearts around me.  This July I can join others in an opportunity to listen to others without judgment in a new program:  “One Way to Look at It,” or I can find time for a quiet respite as a caregiver.  So I am grateful for the rising excitement that there indeed is a place for me spiritually, in communion with others, to run and to be held.