Breathing out

There is a beautiful park near my apartment where I like to go walking. I particularly love the Heather Garden, with its ever-changing flowers. As I came into the garden today, a new flower caught my eye. (I love to see what I can still identify 10 years after my college botany class and spring jobs in a local nursery.) I didn't know this one...the flower looked familiar, but it didn't quite fit anything I could think of exactly. I thought to myself, "I wonder what this is. Maybe I can ask one or the gardeners or look it up online." As I turned, there was a man watching me, who, when I looked at him, said, "It's Phlox. But an unusual variety."


I found myself amazed that within moments of me breathing out my desire to know what the flower was, there was someone giving me the answer. How did he know the question in my mind? If I had never looked at him standing just across the path, I would have missed the immediately accessible answer to my question. I wonder how often the Divine is right there putting in place our answers as soon as we breathe out our requests. Perhaps we just need open our eyes to see them.


Last night I went out to dinner with a good friend. We ended up talking about the things we have felt, through spiritual ways are coming to us "in due time". After having this morning's question answered so surprisingly quickly, I found myself thinking about these other big life things I long for and have asked God for. What if the answers to these desires were equally immediate, having already been put into action...they just take longer to come to fruition? I began imagining flurries of angels preparing me with what I will need to receive those desires and succeed with them. Perhaps the way you might be assisted in preparing for a great journey.... "Here, pack this!", "Learn this", "You'll need this much later, but it's important!", "Practice this now" and "Here's your ticket" ... all with a great activity and urgency. If as soon as I said, "I want to go to Alaska," all around me people began preparing me and setting in action the trip, I wouldn't doubt the reality of the journey just because the departure date wasn't today.

Galatians 6:8: "...he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." What if I trusted the Spirit a bit more? Looking up to see how the answer is actually coming now? Would I see it? Would I feel Spirit guiding my actions? Would I sense a divine readiness to respond and guide and help, right now?


So for today, I am going to see about opening my heart up to the Spirit a bit more. Perhaps, rather than feeling like I am in a holding pattern for the things I want most, I can discover the ways the Divine provides answers and guidance right beside me to prepare me for those very things. I can trust that the answer is coming and it is coming now. And I will keep breathing out my desires to the heavens.

All the Phlox photos are from Gertrudsters flickr site under this creative license. Aren't they beautiful???