Spiritual Things Matter

Sacredness brings a gentle transformation as our roots go ever deeper into its rich and fertile soil. ~Viola M. Jaynes

Hurricane Ike left a great path of destruction. One of the things that I have found so astounding are the huge trees that have been pulled out of the ground by their entire root-system. To my amazement many of those trees only had about a five to seven inch root system supporting an entire tree. As I inquired about this, I was told that the roots do not go past the clay and therefore, the roots expand outward but do not go deep. I was utterly amazed that these huge trees we have in our town here are really only supported by very shallow roots.

Of course, my readers know me well by now. How could I not immediately see a parallel into our own lives with a lesson given to us so generously by nature. I think of a long ago friend who told me once that he has always had his way in life. Everything he has ever wanted, no matter what it was, seemed to fall right in line with his desires. Yet, this same person struggled immensely with dealing with everyday life. The smallest troubles that came his way seem to collapse him into a state of total helplessness. Alcohol seemed to give him some relief, and his many visits to his psychiatrist seemed to only prop him up temporarily.

Another person once told me that she lived in a home that was much like the TV series ,”Leave it to Beaver.” In her description, her childhood was perfect. This same young woman also told me that she felt it was this perfect environment that has brought her the most challenges trying to function as an adult. I was puzzled over her story and pondered over it for sometime.

I do not necessarily believe that people must suffer in order for them to become a strong human being, although, suffering does tend to burn away the harder outer crust of our hearts, which allows a gift of compassion to surface as suffering has pierced deeply into the essence of our being.

But what then, I wonder, is it that makes some people have a solid foundation and a strong and resilient nature? The answer perhaps is different for every individual. Much, of course, is traced back to infancy and early childhood experiences, and much is discussed about the home life people experienced. Many lived in a less than perfect or ideal home, and yet, so many of these same people go on and live relatively emotionally and mentally stable lives, while others, seemingly struggle constantly.

If one has grown up with good parents, a good stable home, or, if one was tossed back and forth with every whim that the adult in their lives had at the time, I am convinced of one sure thing which will bring deep roots into a persons life:

Learning to honor sacredness.

Honoring sacredness in our lives creates roots that will go deep. Those roots will stay deep and perhaps go deeper each time a strong wind comes along. Those roots will be supportive and will never disappoint because it reaches far beyond the the surface of our being.

Sacredness brings a gentle transformation of old and mundane ways of looking at life, to a creative realization of the possibilities that each event which has touched our lives can be a beautiful tapestry of possibilities working for our good. Thus, sacredness is a very tender and gentle anchor into our very soul.

Because of hurricane Ike, I have gained a literal mental picture in my mind of how it looks when a very large, seemingly strong tree has fallen because of shallow roots. May we find a place of quietness within our own hearts to ever deepen our soul into the rich and generous fertile ground of sacredness. May we find peace and strength at all times, and may we never be frightened when the winds and storms of life do come.

Today, on your birthday, I think of you.
The first smile and kind words that were ever spoken.
I think of the moment when somehow I knew
love and pain were greeting me at the very same moment.
I ponder what mystery awoke my heart -
and I ponder what mystery knew its breaking.

Today, I reflect on the wound that was left
and the time it would take to heal its bleeding.
I wonder about the tears that still fall
with an aching desire to understand their meaning.
My heart feels heavy and full with expressions
that came up from a well too deep to explain.
I am left to pray to God through my tears -
each drop, a prayer of words unspoken.

A time will come, sometime, somewhere,
when pain and tears will become a quiet knowing.
A peaceful understanding will take its place
and my heart will smile as we embrace each other fully.
Peace to you and peace to me
in God’s wisdom lie all mysteries’ unfolding.
His ways are higher and always will be
though tears continue to fall -
yet, somehow, there is a knowing.

~Viola M. Jaynes
Feb. 2008

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. ~Scott M. Peck

As the new year has started, I have tuned in and listened carefully to the changes that people have expressed to make for their lives this year. It makes me realize once again how uniquely human we all are, and how we have been graced with the gift of “free will” which allows us to alter and adjust our lives as often as we see fit. No one must ever feel that they are forever trapped in a less than desirable lifestyle or emotions over which they feel they have no power. Some situations do seemingly appear to be hopeless, and yes, within the limited realm of our lower understanding, they also seem utterly futile.

In our free society, though, teachings about spiritual reality are readily available. Any lasting and meaningful changes that people would like to see in their lives usually come through some sort of spiritual awakening, and some sort of spiritual hunger that has found its way into their hearts. More often than not, those times are shrouded with a feeling of utter helplessness and of inadequacy in oneself. Those times, as painful as they might seem, are in fact, blessings in disguise. For many, it is during such times that one learns to fall upon the vibrant and beating heart of God. Let there be no doubt that His work has been forever completed as He gave so generously His exquisite, extraordinary and ultimate Love-gift to mankind. Nothing stands between God and man now except man’s own self-made veils, typical to human experience, of doubt and fear, of self-pity and pride, and of victim-hood and imagined losses.

Oh, how I pray today that those who have suffered would find peace and rest in the comforting love of God. There is nothing more beautiful and nothing more poetic than when a man or a woman has come to a place in their life of turning everything over to His care. A renewed heart will bring a renewed life, which in turn will bring a fresh perspective on situations that seemed difficult and often impossible. It is indeed a better choice! Faith arises within the heart, and it is the beginning of a spiritually energized path. This new path will bring one into the brightness of His presence as one seeks Him through prayer and adoration. When one stays close to His heart, much truth and wisdom will be granted.

Surrendering Heart

I cast myself upon Your heart
A heart of Love Divine.
I cast myself upon Your heart
A heart that now is mine.

I tuck myself away in prayer
apart from men - into a different realm.
In stillness and in quietness,
I find peace upon my sacred ground.

I hunger and I thirst, Oh God
for Your reality alone.
No malice nor anger is found in You
Oh, how Your love does comfort my soul.

I cast myself upon Your heart
A heart of glorious Light Divine.
I cast myself upon Your heart
A heart that now enlightens mine.

Viola M. Jaynes
Jan. 2008

The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering. ~Ben Okri

For a number of weeks now, I have been thinking about the meaning of life and of those who choose to end their life prematurely. A blogger friend, Kal, whom I read regularly, wrote a brief post on a young woman who has decided to do just that. Her sad decision has caused me, once again, to reflect on life’s meaning, a life which has been given to us with so many possibilities and yet, can be so incredibly fragile.

I have thought about this young woman often since I read Kal’s post and even though I had never met her, one can not help but feel strong emotions for her loss and to the inevitable sufferings of her family and friends, who will ascribe blame on themselves in some form. Blame, however, is a hard taskmaster, for it will also slowly kill those who have willingly taken on such a yoke.

Many years ago, I too brushed shoulders with the thought of simply giving up on life. It felt as though I had fallen into a deep, dark hole, and the walls where closing in on me. The harder I tried to climb out of this dark hole, the more I slipped and spiraled even deeper down. It was very scary.  I became withdrawn- even more so than usual, and felt that no one was able to help me or even to understand. The small signs that I gave for someone to realize I was in a very dangerous place were not recognized. I felt ashamed and embarrassed that I was seemingly unable to help myself.

One night, when even the smallest amount of hope became impossible to hold on to and the darkness within my own mind became even darker, I knelt next to my bed and began to talk to God as I had so often done.  At that moment the flood-gates opened and I began to cry very hard. After a time, calmness came over me;  and then all at once, my thinking cleared as I remembered the many hard times in the past with which I have had to deal with and how I had always managed to find a way to rise above them. I thought about the many lonely days that I had already experienced yet was able to keep on going. I realized that the situations that I was facing were difficult, but not beyond some hope and some explanation.

I knew then that I needed to see my physician right away.

As I sat in the doctor’s office the next day, I explained only that I had been feeling very down and that I felt like there might possibly be something causing this depression. The doctor ran some tests and very quickly found out that I had fallen into a menopausal state due to a birth control shot I was given every three months, and which I had already been taken over a year. This medication had brought about my intense depression and the circumstances at the time were triggers of my suicidal despair.  After I discontinued the birth control injections, I never used any form of birth control again. It was a frightening time, and when I think about just how close I came to ending my life, I realize just how fragile life can be.  The experience made me much more aware of how so many people can cover their true feelings because of fear of embarrassment, judgment, rejection, criticism and a host of other reasons.

No matter what school of thought one takes on suicide, rest assured telling a suicidal person how angry and selfish suicidal thoughts are does no good and is certainly not helpful.  A person in this state of mind does not function within a normal mental capacity because in some form or fashion, his or her brain chemistry has been altered. Anyone in this state of mind needs genuine, prompt and loving help. Harsh and judgmental words can bring even more harm to the already emotionally weakened and challenged individual. It pays for all of us to simply work on ourselves to become kinder and more loving human beings. One never knows when even just a smile and a kind word could turn things around for someone.

I am very that I continued to live.  Life had so much more in store for me that I could not possibly foresee while living in that dark tunnel of lost hope. I have been given two marvelous children that bring so much joy and laughter to my heart. I have been given the ability to love deeply and to cherish the simple and small things in life. Through a relationship with God, I have witnessed and experienced how broken relationships can heal and transform beyond expectations. I have also come to understand that those who seem to be in the darkest place in their lives, can experience the love of God most profoundly as they realize that their own strength simply is not sufficient enough. That is the beginning of a spiritual journey, which is not always easy, but it will be the most profound adventure a human being can undertake on this earth. It is beyond anything else one could imagine and beyond anything this world could possibly offer. I believe that it is for this reason that we are placed on this earth.

I love what Siggy had to say: “No one can see with an eye that is Divine. We see events in a linear fashion, framed by a time line that is uniquely our own and that encompasses only what we are capable of seeing and comprehending. God sees it all, the past, present and future.” ~Sigmund, Carl and Alfred

I would like to very gently ask you to quiet your weary mind and to reach deep within yourself, finding a moment of clarity that will bring help and healing your way. There is so much more to live for that you are not able to see right now. There is so much more to experience, so much more to love and so many more tender moments to cherish. Hope, true Hope makes life possible again! This truth lies within you, my friend….it lies within you!

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn! ~Kalidasa