Poetry ~ Trust in the Slow Work of God


Mercury retrograde, or what I now like to call Throwback Mercury, is a fine time to dig through your stuff ( literal and metaphorically). I am on an art kick lately and have been re-viewing my drawings from the archives. I have also retrieved materials from my 2005 awakening week at Pendle Hill. As many of my readers know, it was there that I experienced a very dramatic mystical experience. I am especially drawn to two prayers/poems that were part of the retreat I attended that week. This retreat was on Spiritual Discernment and I went there in part to find my calling. Nine years later and still looking…

This magnificent class was facilitated by the glorious Nancy Bieber and if I have not mentioned her before, let me remedy that now.

Find her here. Wouldn’t you know it, she’s a WordPress goddess!

I want to share one of those poems with you today. It is really a wonderful statement on my current struggle during this recent phase of be-coming.

 

Prayer of Teilhard de Chardin

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

 

This piece  below has been with me for decades. I made it as either a teen or young adult. My sense is that I drew it while in high school. I am posting it here because it directly demonstrates my wildness, innocence, and passion. I aspire to recover these colors and add them to my present palette so that I can imbue them for eternity.

 

get-attachment (55)

 

What I find curious is that my art during and shortly after the retreat did not match this level of intensity. Perhaps that is due to the life cycle process. I don’t really know. What I do know is we are all so much more than the sum of our parts ( or art). I am really happy I saved some of my work from youth. I drew and wrote all the time as a child and adolescent. I wanted to be a visual artist even before I fell in love with writing  and astrology. I may have been 4 or 5 years old. I vaguely recall the simple pleasure of color and patterns. I  actively delighted in the tactile play of finger paint and the soft pliability of clay.  Perhaps the predominant Libra energies are working their magic on my spirit, allowing me to honor the sacred power of beauty.  Art is Sanctuary.

 

Clearly my last few posts have been triggered by this eclipse season. But what about you?

How are you expressing yourself during this eclipse season?

What themes are dominant for you now?

How is the Divine contacting you?

 

For those who want to read a great book about the search for purpose: Callings

This book also fits in with my Awakening story. I realize that it was not mentioned in the actual Awakening article, so here’s the scoop:

While on retreat, I found this book at Pendle Hill’s library. I wanted to buy it from their bookstore, but it was out of stock. I was very disappointed, but eventually let it go. I would get it another time. After James and I departed, I wondered around alone on the grounds before going home. I went back to the bookstore and outside the window was a large display shelf. On the shelf were several copies of CALLINGS facing me! The books arrived while James and I were together. I highly recommend this book. It is a great read ; rich in narrative, soulful and truly inspiring.

6 Comments

  1. Loved your sharing of your art.. And for me this creational period has resulted in my art taking a back seat while my knitting needles have come out again.. I enjoyed so much the poem you shared also Linda… Yes we have to trust in the process of Life.. and take it one step at a time.. Just going within the flow.. And the alchemy will blend it all together beautifully of that I am sure.. 🙂

    Like

    1. I can picture you knitting by the fire drinking hot cider. What do you think? I recently was reminded of the phrase that everything is conspiring in your favor and the term pronoid ( instead of paranoid). I am embracing the idea that we are lived so much that Source wants us to self-realize in time.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I think Linda.. we all of us Worry too much.. We hold the ‘Flow’ of the universe back so much by our critical views of self..
        Remember when I said I was crafting and I said the universe had shown me by way of synchronicity that I should follow my gut.. Well I went and put my own spanner in the works.. And told myself I didnt need any more stress in seeing if I could sell my wares.. So for the last month I didn’t go to the Church venue.. Then yesterday I pulled a tarot card which in essence said I should explore my artistic side more.. This morning I get a text from my friend who asked me if I was going this week.. So I said yes.. As I have been getting spiders left right and overhead LOL.. nudging me along.. Then this week.. I have had 3 caterpillars show up in my home which came in on plants.. LOL.. so http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-caterpillar-meaning.html
        Tomorrow I will give it another go! 🙂 Keep going with the Flow Linda.. (( Hugs )) ❤

        Liked by 1 person

  2. Oh, I love that the books came in while you were together!

    I’ve been feeling art a lot too lately. But for me, it’s the avenue I have the most resistance around. I started painting with Spirit late Friday night after putting it off all day because anything I made wouldn’t be “good enough.” It was actually a lovely experience once I could set my own thoughts about what it “should” be aside.

    Thanks for sharing Nancy with us. Her book sounds fascinating!

    Like

    1. It is wonderful to find fun and powerful ways to express more of who we are. I am glad you enjoyed yourself while painting.

      Nancy Bieber is a very kind and talented woman. Her retreat is still creating ripples for me 9 years later…

      Like

Leave a reply to litebeing Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.