My six-year-old daughter, Bo, and I spent a large part of yesterday afternoon searching for her beloved baby sling (she has a baby called Compost – yes you read that right – who absolutely needed to be carried on the pre-dinner walk we were planning). We knew it was somewhere obvious and yet we could not for the life of us see it as we searched in all the usual places.
At one point, she stopped and said ‘Mum, I’m a bit disappointed. I have been asking my angels to lead me to it but they’re not helping me.’
And her words really hit me. This is how we all feel. We set a goal or make a wish and we think the route should be straightforward and that we should be guided there right away. And, when we don't have it happen 'our' way, we think the support is not there, that our prayers and affirmations are not being answered. That we should be further ahead on our path, that things should look and feel different to how they do.
But it doesn’t work like that. When we invite in Help, we have to surrender to what Life wants for us rather than trying to manipulate the outcome. And some treasures come strangely wrapped; some of the stopping places feel so uncomfortable. Which makes it hard to remember the fact that a Divine Plan is unfolding just as it should.
‘You know,’ I said to Bo, ‘Sometimes the angels want us to take the wiggly route. As we search, let’s see what treasures they lead us to on the way. Maybe they want to show us some things rather than take us straight there.’ She smiled her enormous smile and ran up to the bedroom to continue the search.
She came down beaming. ‘Look, mum, I’ve found Christopher’s blanket! And when I looked under the bed, I found the blouse I love to wear as a wedding dress!’ I joined in the search, which became fun because, instead of seeing it as a frustrating process, we experienced it as an angel treasure hunt.
All afternoon, I heard 'Mum, look what they wanted me to find in here....!' And this was the other gift: that mundane objects became magical and beautiful in a new way. Because we were looking for treasure, we were seeing things as treasure. Old hair clips we hadn't seen in months were transformed into rare jewels. Missing socks were celebrated and welcomed as if they were long-lost friends.
When we finally found the baby sling, it was in the most obvious place you could imagine. Of course.
The route is wiggly, people. Might as well surrender to it and look for treasures along the way.
At one point, she stopped and said ‘Mum, I’m a bit disappointed. I have been asking my angels to lead me to it but they’re not helping me.’
And her words really hit me. This is how we all feel. We set a goal or make a wish and we think the route should be straightforward and that we should be guided there right away. And, when we don't have it happen 'our' way, we think the support is not there, that our prayers and affirmations are not being answered. That we should be further ahead on our path, that things should look and feel different to how they do.
But it doesn’t work like that. When we invite in Help, we have to surrender to what Life wants for us rather than trying to manipulate the outcome. And some treasures come strangely wrapped; some of the stopping places feel so uncomfortable. Which makes it hard to remember the fact that a Divine Plan is unfolding just as it should.
‘You know,’ I said to Bo, ‘Sometimes the angels want us to take the wiggly route. As we search, let’s see what treasures they lead us to on the way. Maybe they want to show us some things rather than take us straight there.’ She smiled her enormous smile and ran up to the bedroom to continue the search.
She came down beaming. ‘Look, mum, I’ve found Christopher’s blanket! And when I looked under the bed, I found the blouse I love to wear as a wedding dress!’ I joined in the search, which became fun because, instead of seeing it as a frustrating process, we experienced it as an angel treasure hunt.
All afternoon, I heard 'Mum, look what they wanted me to find in here....!' And this was the other gift: that mundane objects became magical and beautiful in a new way. Because we were looking for treasure, we were seeing things as treasure. Old hair clips we hadn't seen in months were transformed into rare jewels. Missing socks were celebrated and welcomed as if they were long-lost friends.
When we finally found the baby sling, it was in the most obvious place you could imagine. Of course.
The route is wiggly, people. Might as well surrender to it and look for treasures along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment