Friday, November 9, 2018

Holding It All

This song by Sleeping at Last (the name used by singer-songwriter Ryan O'Neal) both gently challenges and deeply encourages me. The song mirrors my own history of believing I had to try harder, run faster, do more. . . .and reminds us that we cannot and do not need to "earn God's favor."

It's been a very busy week in the world- the US election (with attendant celebrations and disappointments;) the heartbreaking losses at the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks; the fires sweeping through California threatening lives and homes. I cannot think of any of these without feeling both the impulse to pray for those most directly affected and to take a moment, a day. . . to rest and replenish. (Happily one does not preclude the other.)

As O'Neal sings at the end of the song:

I'll hold it all more
loosely, and yet somehow
much more dearly,
'cause I've spent my
whole life searching
desperately
to find out grace requires nothing
of me

In the end grace is a gift, an opportunity to be touched by that which is larger, to live it all, to help each other where we can, to take turns so we can both rest and love deeply by participating in the world with kindness. . . to be the flawed and fabulous human beings we are. ~Oriah

Here's the link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sO2UMoOaFQ

3 comments:

  1. Thank you Oriah for another balancing stabilizing coming home from the fear in the outer world of Kali Yuga – to rest yes after loving, sharing deeply connecting to my neighbors, creating community and unity through purpose – by way of kindness and compassion – dispersing illusions of encouraged division and separation, making new friends or rather soul reunions, all of us signed up to be here now – however “flawed and fabulous” we showed up in this life go round – sewing ourselves, our hearts together, a crazy quilt – uniquely unified happily apparent!

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  2. Thank you, Oriah, for the comforting words of that song, especially . . . grace requires nothing of me. It's been a tough week for many.

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