Reflection

It is a strange thing to stop amidst the passage of time
Whether a marked holiday or an intentional breaking away,
To look back over the course of time
And find that thread of grace—hope or insight.

The moments you said yes despite apprehension and uncertainty—
The relationship that knocked on the door of your heart
And led you toward a breaking open of all you kept hidden
Demanding—no, inviting—your voice, your face, your heart
To be seen as if for the first time

And then left you in the middle of your held breath,
Knowing your heart would continue to break open
Just as surely as your lungs would continue their rhythmic expansion and contraction.

Also, the moments you said no—
No more aimless wandering or isolated striving
For that elusive calling, as if it were just beyond your reach.
No, it is not for lack of trying but for lack of seeing
Or sensing the daily appearances–the stirring in your gut,
The songs in silence, the promise held even on the grayest of days.

Notice how mysterious is the passage of time,
The way it leads you back even as you step forward
Into the one life you were made to live.