For with God are the keys of the unseen; no one knows them but God. And God knows what is on the land and in the sea; and not a single leaf falls but God knows it. And there is not a single grain in the darknesses of earth, nor anything green, or withered, but is in an open Book. And it is God who takes your souls by night, and knows what you have acquired by day; then resurrects you in it, that an appointed term may be fulfilled. Thence your destination is to God, who will then acquaint you with what you have done. Surah 6:59-60
Do you allow yourself to be moved and changed by beauty, by the effervescent touch of the spirit, by the ineffable, coming as rhythm, as sound, as words, by something you think, even hope, might be greater than yourself?
Holy scripture invites us to ask questions, to explore longings and burdens, possibilities, and fears. We begin with a telescope in our hands. Embrace holy words in their immeasurable sky vastness; words that beckon us to understand and claim our lives within our own deep mystery, spontaneity, and wonder, like a constellation within the cosmos.
Read your own life within your poetic verses, and know that just by the simple act of shaping your willingness to do the necessary work – of letting go of the reign of the ego and the illusion of a self-sustaining, independent life – you are taking your first step into surrendering.
This surrender to the power of your poetic verses takes work and you can tell because as insights come your heart starts beating faster, your palms sweat, your head hurts. And as you lean forward in surrender, you find a stillness coupled with crescendo because, maybe, just maybe, you matter.
The Source of All Life repeats over and over again, you will always belong. Every day, you, as a work of art, will be resurrected. You hopefully think, “Just maybe Unimagined Generosity is truly dwelling in the house of my soul, even though I am a sinner, through and through.
“Wouldn’t that be something!”
~ ~ ~ ~
I believe that one of the greatest deterrents to faith is to perceive God as the Ultimate Judge who may reject you. The possibility of this cosmic rejection makes no sense as God wills upon Godself the law of grace and mercy.
As a young child, my mother and my three siblings and I spent July and August with my grandmother, Nana, in San Rafael, California. We had one car. We rose early to take Nana to her car pool just outside the Golden Gate Bridge so that she could ride in with her colleagues to work in San Francisco.
Yet, often, at least once a week, we children would pile into the back seat and take Nana into the city, drop her off at her work place, and spend the whole day in that magical city.
One of my earliest memories was crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and hearing Nana direct my mother, who was driving, to move to the ‘right’ toll lane. It had the longest line of cars. And as young as I was, I knew that moving to that lane was unexpected. Cars were passing us, and not because they had an Easy Pass and we didn’t (before the day!). We were waiting in a specific lane, patiently. Others were choosing the same lane as well. Strange.
As we came to the toll booth, and my mother was opening her purse for the toll, Nana reached across her seat and said, “Roy, these are my grandchildren.”
“Oh Fay, they are so beautiful. Where’s Jamie, the oldest?”
I raised my hand, “He knows my name! His smile is so wide.” I disappeared in the joy of his face.
“So happy to meet you and your sisters and your brother. And Fay, this must be your daughter, Frankie. What a fine mother you have, Frankie.”
“How’s your daughter, Roy?” Nana asked.
“Oh, so much better, Fay; thank you for your prayers.”
We moved on. I turned around – days before seatbelts – and pressed my chin on the back of my seat and watched the tollbooth fade away out the rear window. To this day, I still recall how full I felt. My heart was burning. Every day, Roy transformed his tollbooth into Divine Love. Glorious Welcome. Nana knew it. Others knew it.
Now, I knew it.
Day 7: Reflection
For me, this memory has become a metaphor for Judgement Day. I offer it to you, as well. God will meet us as the Long-Awaited Longing, as Surprise, as a wide smile. Whoever the Gatekeeper is for you, they will know your name and greet you with joy. Whoever says “love is blind” is wrong. Love allows you to see. Roy as Gatekeeper was waiting for me, eager to greet me; I was seen, embraced, and welcomed into paradise. The Love of the Divine is not dependent on our worthiness.
Reflect on this today: It is the Divine, who takes your soul by night, and knows what you require, and then resurrects you in the dream Love has for you.
You Belong.
