We live cluttered lives
If we can’t go left or right
Look up!
In our upside world, we often have cluttered minds, cluttered spaces, cluttered calendars
There’s no extra space, no wriggle room
It’s just wall to wall stuff and things to do
Is it time for a spring clean, a factory re set?
Take some time out this season to consider what’s important, what defines us
What needs to stay and what can be thrown out
You might be surprised what you uncover and what you’re holding on to…..
A short reflection for the longest day
I got up at 5am today, to see the sunrise. And it did!
Sitting in the garden with my tea and toast, it was quite cool and I needed a jacket
I could hear birdsong, and there was still distant traffic noise even at this unearthly hour
I watched the birds feeding hungrily on their unexpected early breakfast and smelt the dampness of the freshly watered garden
Somewhere I heard a train pass and I remembered an old saying that this meant rain was on the way. Let’s hope that’s true, if only to cool things down a bit
There was no breeze at all. The bunting hung limping on its ribbon and the wind chimes remained still. Silence can be so precious
I was reminded of the quote
‘’Rise before dawn, chase the sun, savour every moment of life’’
I certainly intended to squeeze every last drop of sunshine out of today. There was a sense of perfect stillness and I wondered if I was the only one awake in the whole world. I am blessed to be alive on such a day as this
The expression ‘’you snooze, you lose’’ had never felt more poignant
Surely this, this is the place where beauty starts….
Desolation
Fear
Isolation
Darkness
Cold
Separateness
Anticipation
Anxiety, what if?
But then….
Light
Sun
Warmth
Freedom
Hope
Life
Peace
Joy
Awesome, alive and forever blessed
Whoever we are and where ever we are
Who are we when we are in different places?
The places we go, the people we see, who do they need us to be?
We are different people to different people
But who am I to me?
Who is the real me that no one else can see
Who do I need me to be?
Easy like Sunday morning
That early morning feeling, when things seem just right
Not a person in sight and a whole new day before tonight
Chance to have a cup of tea and just see
Just see what might be in this new day
A walk down this path where no one else has trod
No footprints to guide as I step outside
We’ll go for a stroll, just you and me
Look for God’s fingerprint on everything I see
Rest
Nowhere to be
Waiting
No plans, no commitments, no responsibilities, no activities planned, no distractions
Just one deep breath after another
The sun on my face and the promise of more to come. A warm breeze
Unclench the curled fist that tries to hold everything together
Just stop and be. Relish and treasure the silence
Reminiscent of 2020 but without the fear and anxiety
Let thoughts settle and then pour out, release the pressure valve
Quiet but not silent. Just be here now, nowhere else
What are others doing? Do they know what today is, what Sunday is all about?
Car washing, lawn mowing, garden digging, cycling, dog walking, running or still sleeping
Why do we rush and hurry, with so much to carry?
What if we were late because we took a minute?
Is that why I get dizzy, because I’m always rushing?
I can’t bear to waste a minute, have to fill the day up with stuff
To stop feels self-indulgent and a waste
But what is it that is lost or wasted compared to what is gained?
To be together, but separate. Alone in a comfortable silence. It’s like a secret that no one else knows
I see stuff that needs doing, but it will still need doing tomorrow
‘For God alone my soul in silence waits. Surely my hope is in him’ Psalm 62
There is no need to fill the space with noise, music or other people’s words
Just wrap yourself up in the silence
Sometimes there are no words, and sometimes too many
Pay attention to what sound there is, don’t always be looking for something more
Today is enough just as it is, and so are you. Just as you are in this moment
Connection is important but so is separateness, but not separation
There is no need to be entertained or distracted by past disappointments or future plans
There is just an ever present now. That’s all we will ever have
This moment is all there is and then it’s history. It will never come again so don’t let it be lost
Cherish it, remember it, enjoy it. Don’t rush through it or from it.
Sit with it. Sit in it. All day long if you can and need to
Sit with the joy and the discomfort. Embrace whatever comes and then let it go
Don’t fill your day by observing others’ lives or seeking validation for yours
Be still
Be here
Be present
Be aware
Comparison is the thief of joy
‘’Have you come to write a poem?’’, said Keely
Oh no, not really!
Not me. I’m not good enough
But wait, is that my stuff?
Or is it just that I can’t come up with something quick and off the cuff?
If I just took a bit more time, maybe the words would fall into line
What on earth could I say?
Would my words be laughed at, mocked, or just swept away?
What could I say that has never been said?
So others could read something that has never been read
Who’s to say that their words are the best and mine are worth less
If you compare them to me
What would you see?
Someone who is often shy, but so wants to try
To be included, valued and heard
Even if I choose to not say a word
All these talented folk sitting before me
I feel not worthy to speak
But my contribution matters; these words, phrases and letters
Every one of us has something to say and can safely tell it here in our own unique way
And do you know what? That’s ok!
Could I write in a public place?
When I usually crave my own space
And then share it, face to face!
I was invited, I am enough and that’s makes me quite chuffed
Don’t worry what others are up to
We all shine in our own way and no one can take that away
It’s not a competition, it’s only a game
And at the end of the day, aren’t we all just the same?
Just trying to be heard in this crazy upside down world
We all wear a dial on our wrist
But maybe the point has been missed
So often we say we want to
Kill time
Make time
Waste time
Spend time
Use time
Buy time
Save time, rather than savour it
Is there such a thing as lost time?
The only time we have is now
And maybe the only thing to do is enjoy it
Turn your face to the sun
Let yourself unravel, become undone
Lay on the grass and look at the clouds
The silence is deafening, it’s almost too loud
mortys thoughts 