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April-June, 2010

Seeing Past the Leaves

by Rev. Vicki Rostant

I was recently sitting in a bus heading downtown. Part of the route was alongside a large park just outside of the city. I always make sure I sit on the side of the bus that looks onto the park, so I can enjoy looking at the trees. On this day, the weather was cold and dreary, but the sky was clear. I had spent some time that morning studying and reflecting on material from Joel Wright’s new book, The Mirror On Still Water, as I had been for several days.

Being at the heart of winter, the trees were bare of leaves. At first, all I saw were the bare branches on the trees and how sad the scene looked in the dreary light. Simultaneously, I was holding in my mind what I was learning from Joel’s scribing. Suddenly, I saw past the dark branches and became aware of the light in the clear sky.

A smile came onto my face. Against the background of the light, the trees no longer looked bare and dark. They looked majestic and regal. They just were what they were at this point in their growth, in this winter.

Then I had an image of the trees clothed in all their green leaves as they would be in the spring and later on in the fall, when the leaves became colorful. I realized that, when the trees have leaves on them, that is all I see, especially when they became a riot of color. I would no longer notice the structure of the tree itself, and especially, I would not notice the sky, nor the light in the sky. I would be distracted by the obvious, the blatantly visible, what I was used to seeing.

Then it dawned into my mind that, just as I get distracted by the leaves and do not see beyond them to the light in the vast sky, so it is with thoughts. When my mind is full of thoughts — judgments, criticisms, fears, planning, doubts, uncertainties, desires, forms, images and other ego-driven coverings, I do not see beyond them to the Light beyond them. I do not see the clarity and wholeness present and which offer a new perspective. I do not experience the joy and peace which come from seeing beyond the obvious, especially when I have labeled it as ‘colorful’!

However, when the mind, through Holy Spirit’s guidance using a little willingness from me, is cleared of noise and clutter, it expands from its preoccupation with the same old repetitive clamor. The inner vision clears, the Light and Wholeness that is always there fills the mind, healing occurs, and joy and peace is reclaimed. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for the ride in the park.

© 2010, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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