On the day of the impending blizzard, I took my usual walk in the woods. Snow drifted down lazily around me as I put one foot in front of the other and connected with the land around me.
Arriving in my sacred prayer area, I stood for a while surveying the scenery. My heart expanded to include each tree, each rock, and each place my eyes touched. I felt filled with love.
I began speaking out loud. “Dear Spirit, please protect all of us during the coming blizzard. Protect the birds, including Blue Jay who sat on the branch outside my bathroom window this morning, from the danger coming our way. Protect all the wild beings, including gentle Doe who recently visited this area. Help all who are in the path of the storm find shelter and stay safe.”
I continued praying, “Please guide each snowflake to pass between the tree branches and pine needles. Help the trees sway and bend with the wind.”
My prayers became more specific as I asked for protection for my family and friends, for our chickens and sheep, for Star our donkey, for Kali our dog, for Pizzaz our cat, for our home, for Harmony Center, and for all of Harmony Farm.
I prayed, and prayed some more. Then stood in silence, listening, sensing, feeling.
Deep inside I felt reassured. I couldn’t say how I knew, but I felt everything would be all right.
As the day progressed, I watched snow pile up and heard wind blow. When I went over to Harmony Center during the evening, I noticed that our driveway had already been plowed. I said a mental “thank you” to John for being out in the storm, for taking good care of people like ourselves.
Later at night I lay in bed, listening to wind howling around our house. Snuggled cozily inside my bed, I felt safe and warm. As I drifted into sleep, I felt deep gratitude for the unsung heroes out braving the storm keeping us safe, plowing, repairing electric lines, answering emergency calls, clearing railroad tracks, etc. etc.
I prayed for their protection and sent them love.
Dearest Ms Shore, I don’t remember how I came to start receiving your posts in my e-mail. But they and you have truly been a blessing, and I look forward to each new one. In my own journeys into the forest here in West Tn, I often imagine you are there sharing in the wonders of this place. Snow is fairly rare here, anymore, and the Winters usually mild–even if they ARE pretty wet–so the woods always have some non-conifer greenery. Like last year, everything including time itself is accelerated by at least 2 weeks. By mid-Spring, it will be by 2 months. The Spring Beauties are coming out already, and the Elms and Maples are beginning to bloom. The snakes, turtles and mosquitoes are already emerging on the days the temperatures climb into the 60s. In a few more weeks, the Red Buckeyes will begin leafing out, and almost overnight, will send a wave of soft gray-green across the forested hillsides, and blessed Spring will finally arrive. Many Blessings on you and all of Harmony Farm. Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:44:15 +0000 To: nuwotegwa81@hotmail.com
Thank you, Doug, for this beautiful comment. A reminder that we are all connected.
Thank you for telling me a little about your area, about the Spring Beauties beginning to appear. Here too, time seems to be accelerating. After all the snow, we’ve had rain, and warmer temperature. Mother Nature is sending us messages.
Blessings to you and your forested area in West Tn.
Very nice writing. Perhaps you will collect all these in a book of essays some day, Lesley.
What a lovely comment, especially as I admire your writing. Right now I’m content to have my musings available for free to all who care to read them.
Lesley
Website: http://www.Harmony-Center.org Blog: http://www.GrowingOurselves.org Nature Nurtures, Education Empowers
We were praying in concert, as I have learned to do before a pending storm. I was too busy to do it before Hurricane Sandy, and our beloved old sugar maple came down in the winds. Of course it would have happened eventually, but I would have felt less bereft if I had connected in prayer first.
I love how you and I are connecting via these posts. We go quite a ways back and it is wonderful to share in this way now. What happened to Sugar Maple’s stump?
Lesley
Website: http://www.Harmony-Center.org Blog: http://www.GrowingOurselves.org Nature Nurtures, Education Empowers