O seekers, remember, all distances are traversed 

by those who yearn to be near the Source of their being.

-Kabir-

Years ago, I engaged a sailing adventure up and down the west coast of Michigan on the Great Lake.  The first day we sailed through moderate winds, constant rain and cold weather.  The second day we met intermittent rain and twenty five mile an hour winds with six foot waves slamming the boat on every up and down.  The third day we finally saw the sun, clearing skies and moderate temperatures.

The fourth day we encountered thick fog and had only a compass to help us navigate.  I wondered, in all this changing weather, if it might be a metaphor for our lives.  Imagine sailing through the many changes of your life thinking you know where you’re going, encountering difficult inner and outer weather and sometimes getting lost in the fog.

How many times have you had difficulty navigating the winds of change in your life?  Maybe you’re struggling right now with significant changes challenging your control.  How are you responding?  Are you connecting with the Source, with what brings authentic meaning to you?  Are you trusting your deepest Self or are you trying to find outer things to hang onto, maybe both?  Are you appreciating and enjoying the journey?

Learning to simply open and embrace ‘What Is’ brings a remembrance of your inner navigation systems.  Imagine becoming more discerning, relaxing into the many difficult situations you face.  Imagine greater presence and vigilance helping you connect with both the outer and inner promptings that will help you.  Envision an inner compass that allows you to stay the needed course with all the necessary course corrections. 

We live in a time of great change which is profoundly challenging and inviting a new way of being and becoming for us all.  Are you willing to smile while sailing in the fog?  Are you making the necessary course corrections and checking with your crew members to be as sure as you can that your destination will be reached?  Are you giving attention to the details of the voyage and remembering to listen, let go, and flow?

In spite of what anyone else might have experienced on this Great Lake Sailing Adventure, I loved every minute of it.  I loved the cold, the wind, the waves, the rain, the fog, the sunshine, the warmth, the camaraderie, the lack of control, the silence, the stars, the unknown, the anchorages, the gifts differing, the challenges, the invitations, and mostly; the mystery of it smiling at me all the while.

Learning to live with an ongoing consciousness of Life Source being as near as each breath, as gentle as the whispering wind and placid water, as powerful as the mighty winds and raging waves and as physical as the sailing vessel was an experience that continues to live in every moment for me.  Navigating the winds of change?  Magnificent!

In Christ,

Fr. Rick+