Beside Restful Waters

"May I share something personal?"

- Anonomyous

We were a small group. We had just finished a sacred ceremony. We were sitting in silence for several minutes. Our leader asked if anyone had something to say. A quiet voice spoke the words above: "May I share something personal?" Ordinarily, such a question would not strike me so deeply. Yet, this night, I was deeply moved.

During our sacred ceremony, our leader spoke of prayer. She instructed us to invite our Higher Power, our Great Spirit, our God in to our presence. In this moment, I wanted to challenge such a request as I was thinking that my Higher Power is all ways present. Why should I have to extend such an invitation?

Yet, now, I picture myself visiting dear friends. We knock on their door. They open the door for us. They speak words of invitation. The invitation is spoken with hospitality - we will care for you while you are here, and we will open ourselves to your gifts to us at this time. We offer you our gifts as this time. We enter in to their sacred space. They have made time and space for us as they welcome us.

This invitation to my Higher Power, our Great Spirit, is my opportunity to create a sacred space and an attitude of welcome to Her gifts to me. Also, I have to let something go to create this sacred space. I let something die for this new bit of life to enter.

I have taken this simple act of hospitality for granted.

Hmmmmmm?

Did my attitude have such an impact on the people in our circle such that she felt the need to ask permission for her to be vulnerable?

"Can I ask something personal?"

Within our small circle, there was a quiet yet resounding response of sacred welcome. What followed was the essence of grace, peace and birth.

Here is the first miracle: I sat quiet for what turned in to more than an hour.

Next, the sacred feminine slowly emerged. There was a palpable presence of healing: deeply focused interest in the personal sharing; painful sharing of personal experiences; a magnetic interaction of vulnerabilities, grace, death, and birth. These, I believe, were energies available to our sacred feminine.

PAUSE

I invite you to take such a moment now: Invite the presence of your Higher Power in to your sacred space. What has to die to create your sacred space. Acknowledge the faces within your circle of honored, trusted fellows. Share your 'something personal'.

Now rest in their sacred words of healing and hope.

Breath, rest, know that Higher Power is present.

Gratitude

Now I rest in gratitude for the opportunity to witness the transformation promised to those of us in 12 Step Programs;

to those of us vulnerable enough to stand naked, even for brief moments, before the faces of our Higher Power;

for those of us willing to hold our trauma long enough with the embodiment of our Higher Power while He/She enters our soul;

for those of us willing to share experience, strength and hope whether verbally or in silence;

for those of us who invite each other to rest beside sacred waters and bask in blessed sobriety.

Namaste'