SACRED PLACES

Sometimes life doesn’t turn out how we thought it would.

Sometimes curve balls get thrown at us and we jump so far to get out of the way we lose our place in the world.

Sometimes we deliberately step off the path we’re traveling on for the sake of others, not realizing how far off the path we’ll be going.

Sometimes these unexpected detours start to empty us inside.

We become numb.

We hide in a dark empty place to avoid sadness and pain.

We hide here to survive.

This dark place, this empty place, is really a sacred place.

In its emptiness, in its void, we can choose to plant sacred seeds

And our tears will water them.

These sacred seeds have names like acceptance,

Determination, gratitude and compassion.

If we allow them to grow,

If we allow them to fill the boundaries of who we are

And beyond,

We allow sacredness to be our breath.

We allow transformation to occur

In our souls.

This is the miracle.

Sometimes life doesn’t turn out how we thought it would.

Sometimes I wonder if this was the plan all along.

*May we keep the victims and families of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado in our thoughts and prayers.