moments of grace: “… EACH of us is blessed with moments of grace, moments when our soul becomes clear and quiet …” ~ William Stafford
Moments of Grace …
EACH of us is blessed with moments of grace,
moments when our soul becomes clear and quiet.
Our worrying stops.
Our yearning and planning and waiting for fulfillment stops.
There is nothing to be done since everything is already happening.
Grace uncovers the mysterious essence that unites us with all beings.
Through its gift, the place, the time, the sky, and ourselves are revealed in right relation.
What is inside of us and what is outside of us comes together, if only for a moment.
…
~ William Stafford
It serves us to acknowledge and honor such moments … and maybe even go further and deepen their impact through practice and by living in the present … as Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us:
Our true home is in the present moment.
To live in the present moment is a miracle.
The miracle is not to walk on water.
The miracle is to walk on the green Earth
in the present moment,
to appreciate the peace and beauty
that are available now.
Peace is all around us—
in the world and in nature—
and within us—
in our bodies and our spirits.
Once we learn to touch this peace,
we will be healed and transformed.
It is not a matter of faith;
it is a matter of practice.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Or, as William Stafford again reminds us through yet another of his prayers …
I like to live in the sound of water,
in the feel of the mountain air.
A sharp reminder hits me: this world still is alive;
it stretches out there shivering toward its own
creation, and I’m part of it.
Even my breathing enters into this elaborate give-and-take,
this-bowing to sun and moon, day or night,
winter, summer, storm, still—this tranquil
chaos that seems to be going somewhere.
This wilderness with a great peacefulness in it.
This motionless turmoil, this everything dance.
We started exploring these prayers from Elizabeth Roberts’ and Elias Amidon’s 3rd book Prayers for a Thousand Years earlier this year: An Invitation to Peace & Unity … via Prayers … and How To Remember We Are One: Unity Prayers for a Thousand Years … the other two books are Earth Prayers (the 1st one) and Life Prayers (the 2nd one) … and, as mentioned before, we hoped to explore all three books – in depth – in due course … so this post is a sampling of their second book on prayers: Life Prayers From Around The World … and all italicized text above (both poems and the text re “practice”) is excerpted from it.
So, … pause … scroll back to the top 🙂 … read … reflect … pause … read again … reflect deeper … and see what is revealed … 🙂
As we reflect on these prayers, let us honor our earth family and our unity … by helping our fellow family members in Ukraine … in whatever way we can … so here are some options:
1) NPR: Want to support the people in Ukraine? Here’s how you can help
2) Washington Post: Here’s how Americans can donate to help people in Ukraine.
3) Go Fund Me: How to Help: Donate to Ukraine Relief Efforts.
4) USA Today: Want to support the people of Ukraine? These apps and websites can help you send money.
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We are all facing financial challenges but IF your situation allows you to donate and help then please do so …
THANK YOU!
Images: (edited and logo added): Featured and 1) mountain reflection at sparks lake in oregon by porbital, 2) High rocky mountain peak in a valley against milky way in a night starry sky by vian1980, 3) Panoramic landscape of an autumn fir forest in the rain at dawn. Deserted footpath goes into the misty distance, dew hanging on every twig and grass, melancholy and serenity in the air by panaramka, 4) Colorful spring landscape in the valley of mountain river by jojjik. All purchased from depositphotos or 123rtf. All are for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post).
