Sometimes walking is an exercise in magic.
I always expect to be surprised when I take a walk, but usually the surprise is seeing a cat perched in a windowsill or someone painting their front door a bright yellow. At the beginning of spring I delighted in all the sidewalk chalk art, and now I notice the gardens, dressed up in new and brightly-colored clothes.
I always check the Little Free Libraries I pass and am thrilled when I find a book I want to read, like I did recently when I found two Anne Tyler novels I have not yet read.
One day this week, I saw something I had not seen before.
An arch across the sidewalk. Not a garden arbor like the entrance to my Paris garden, but a big pinkish red blown-up rubber arch, like a half of a gigantic inner tube. A massive beach toy with a unicorn's horn on the top.
I suppose this was a decoration for a birthday or graduation party, but maybe somebody decided all passersby needed a smile.
Or, I wondered, was this a gateway to a magic kingdom?
If I stood underneath the red glow would fairy dust sprinkle on me? Should I stand there and make a wish or two or three? Would life be different, better once I walked underneath that curve and emerged on the other side? Was this a threshold to dreams of all encompassing love and justice? Was I pilgrim at an unknown portal?
I had to bow my head in order to pass through, a humbling and reverent pose, and in just one step I was on the other side. No, the sun didn't seem any brighter nor was the sidewalk paved in gold, but somehow I felt lighter, as I continued my walk.
Normally, I take a different return route, but that morning I retraced my steps, like returning from the center of a labyrinth. As I approached the arch once again, I took a deep breath and gave thanks for the magic of unexpected passageways.
The magic comes in the steps we take once we come to the other side.
Once home I went up to my garret office and sat in my Girlfriend Chair for morning devotions. I opened to the "Morning Prayer" in a book of prayers by Padraig O Tuoma.
We begin our day alone,
honoring this life, with all its potentials and possibilities
We begin our day with trust,
knowing we are created for loving encounter...
We make room for the unexpected,
May we find wisdom and life
in the unexpected...
We resolve to live life in its fullness:...
We will greet God in ordinary and hidden moments.
We will live the life we are living.
May we greet the magic of each day.
An Invitation
Where do you find magic? I would love to know.
NOTE: The "Morning Prayer" is found in Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Padraig O Tuama. http://www.padraigotuama.com
In the early morning light before I ease out of bed and into my slippers, I give thanks for a good night's sleep and for waking to a new day.
I gather my thoughts for the day.
What will be the topic for my next blog post?
How much writing time do I have today?
Is it going to rain again today?
When should I go on my daily walk?
And even, do I need to wash my hair this morning?
I review the previous day.
The afternoon with my writing group and the help they offered as I begin working on a new section of my memoir. Once again, we talked about how to maintain focus.
The evening with other writers and our conversation about what we learn as we work on a long project, including the discovery of patterns in our lives and the growth of compassion towards ourselves and others.
The French Onion Soup that simmered in a slow cooker all day and tasted delicious. Leftovers tonight!
And then I lift the names of those on my heart; those in need of prayers.
A friend who is being stretched by all her caregiving responsibilities.
Another friend who is struggling with health issues and growing older.
A couple who are bravely addressing other health issues.
A nephew as he relocates and a niece as she begins a new job.
The spiritual directees who come for monthly sessions this week.
Government officials who resist doing the right thing.
My loved ones as they move through this day.
Well, this list goes on and on and I could spend the day in bed praying. I hope if/when the day comes that I am bed bound or limited in my activities and movements, that I will remember to spend my day in prayer. But for now, even though the advent of morning light appears later and later as we move into October, it is time to rise and, I hope, shine.
Dear God,
I give this day to You.
May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit.
May I not be tempted to stray from love.
As I begin this day, I open to receive You.
from "Morning Prayer"
Illuminata, A Return to Prayer
Marianne Williamson
An Invitation
What are your first thoughts of the day? I would love to know.
How do you begin your day? Are you a coffee and the newspaper person? Or do you go for a walk with your dog or on your own as your first activity of the day?
As soon as I have made the bed, I head upstairs to my sanctuary garret. Until recently, I spent the first hour or more in meditation and devotion time. Lately, however, I have decided to use the first hours of my day for writing. Much to my surprise, the rest of the day seems to fall into place, including time for meditation later in the day.
Before I begin writing, however, I take a moment to breathe myself open to the day with a brief morning prayer. My morning prayer is my jumpstart into the day. I offer one of my own or I choose a favorite.
Dear God,
I give this day to You.
May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit.
May I not be tempted to stray from love.
As I begin this day, I open to receive You.
Please enter where you already abide.
May my mind and heart be pure and true, and may I not deviate from the things of goodness.
May I see the love and innocence in all humankind, behind the masks we all wear and the illusions of this worldly plane.
I surrender to You my doings of this day.
I ask only that they serve You and the healing of the world.
May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to give unto others wherever I go.
Make me the person You would have me be.
Direct my footsteps and show me what You would have me do.
Make the world a safer, more beautiful place.
Bless all your creatures.
Heal us all and use me, dear Lord, that I might know the joy of being used by You.
Amen.
Marianne Williamson
May I live this day
Compassionate of heart,
Clear in word,
Gracious in awareness,
Courageous in thought,
Generous in love.
May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.
John O'Donohue
Beloved Friend, I open myself to be of service. Please help me be your arms and willingly hold those who need a healing touch. Open my eyes that I may truly see what you ask of me today. Open my ears that I may truly hear and respond to the cries of joy and sorrow from your children. May the words of my mouth be the meditations of your heart and may I sow peace wherever I go. Amen.
Unknown
No matter what else happens in the day, what direction I am bidden or what new choices are presented, I have had this quiet moment of connection with the Divine.
An Invitation
How do you start your day? What prayer, formal or informal, do you offer as you start a new day? I would love to know.
Have you noticed how much longer it takes for morning light to appear? The bedside lamp needs to remain on longer than it did even a week ago or so it seems, and it is a bit harder to get out of bed into the darkness and the coolness. I linger in the warmth of our bed longer, even though I am awake.
I wonder if this gradual movement from one season calls us to a different kind of movement; an inner movement. I invite you to think about the way you start your day. Newspaper? Coffee? Listen to the news? Are you starting your morning the way you always have even though your personal season has changed? Might there be a space in your morning to quietly greet the day? Would you be willing to offer a blessing for the gift of the new day and to ask for a blessing on all the day presents to you before you even stir from bed? What might happen if your routine included time with God, however, you define God, or with the best part of yourself?
Consider using the lure of staying in bed a bit longer to begin a practice of morning prayer or meditation.
A Sampler of Prayers for the Morning Time
Beloved Friend, I open myself to be of service. Please help me be your arms and willingly hold those who need a healing touch. Open my eyes that I may truly see what you ask of me today. Open my ears that I may truly hear and respond to the cries of joy and sorrow from your children. May the words of my mouth be the meditations of your hear and may I sow peace wherever I go. Amen
(An unknown source)
Two from Illuminata by Marianne Williamson
Dear God,
I give this day to You.
May my mind stay centered on the things of spirit.
May I not be tempted to stray from love.
As I begin this day, I open to receive You.
Please enter where You already abide.
May my mind and heart be pure and true, and may I not
deviate from the things of goodness.
May I see the love and innocence in all mankind, behind the
masks we all wear and the illusions of this worldly plane.
I surrender to You my doings this day.
I ask only that they serve You and the healing of the world.
May I bring Your love and goodness with me, to give unto
others wherever I go.
Make me the person You would have me be.
Direct my footsteps, and show me what You would have me do.
Make the world a safer, more beautiful place.
Bless all your creatures.
Heal us all, and use me dear Lord, that I might know the joy of
being used by You.
Amen
Dear God,
Thank you for this new day, its beauty and its light.
Thank You for my chance to begin again.
Free me from the limitations of yesterday.
Today may I be reborn.
May I become more fully a reflection of Your radiance.
Give me strength and compassion and courage and wisdom.
Shed the light in myself and others.
May I recognize the good that is available everywhere.
May I be this day, an instrument of love and healing.
Lead me into gentle pastures.
Give me deep peace that I might serve You most deeply.
Amen.
Two From Life Prayers, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon
May my feet rest firmly on the ground
May my head touch the sky
May I see clearly
May I have the capacity to listen
May I be free to touch
May my words be true
May my heart and mind be open
May my hands be empty to fill the need
May my arms be open to others
May my gifts be revealed to me
So I may return that which has been given
Completing the circle.
The Terma Collective
May all being be peaceful, happy, and light in body and mind.
May all beings be safe and free from accidents.
May all beings be free from anger, unwholesome states of mind,
fear, and worries.
May all beings know how to look at themselves with the eyes of
understanding and love.
May all beings be able to recognize and touch the seeds of joy and
happiness in themselves.
May all beings learn how to nourish themselves with joy each day.
May all beings be able to live fresh, solid, and free.
May all beings not fall into the state of indifference or caught in
the extremes of attachment and aversion.
Thich Nhat Hanh
From "A Morning Offering" by John O'Donohue
I bless the night that nourished my heart
To set the ghosts of longing free
Into the flow and figure of dream
That went to harvest from the dark
Bread for the hunger no one sees.
All that is eternal in me
Welcomes the wonder of this day,
The field of brightness it creates
Offering time for each thing
To arise and illuminate.
…
May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.
If one of these prayers resonates with you, lift it up. Perhaps there is a phrase or line or two that speaks to you. If so, offer that to the wonders of the morning or listen to the words of your own heart, rising from the dark into the slowly growing light. In the quiet of the morning you may discover your mantra or inspiration for the day. May it be so.
An Invitation
What is your morning routine? Does it include time for devotion or meditation? If so, how does that time prepare you for the rest of the day? If not, would you be willing to give it a try for a few weeks? I would love to know.
Sometimes walking is an exercise in magic.
