While sitting on the patio the other morning, I watched a large blue jay land on top of the fence. Nothing unusual for a beautiful morning; but as I watched him, I was suddenly struck with, what I call, one of those magical moments of grace. I looked at that blue jay and felt him, felt his spirit. In that instant I knew we were all part of one world of spirit and energy. I smiled and gave gratitude for that moment of magic. These are the times in our lives when we can recognize our spirituality, our oneness, our connection to the world, to the universe. These times can be as simple as watching a sunset over the ocean or as dramatic as watching a child come into the world.
I’ve always had those flashes of connection but haven’t always known what to call them or how to describe them. If you had asked me what spirituality was seven years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to answer you; or if I had, I would’ve been wrong. Then I thought spirituality was the same as being religious. Because I hadn’t been raised with any religious affiliation, I would have said I wasn’t spiritual. The last seven years, however, have been quite a journey, and I am now better able to say what spirituality is, at least for me. After all, finding spirituality is a very personal journey.
The Journey
How you get there and where you start is different for everyone. No one’s pathway to discovery is the same. I imagine some beginnings are very gentle, and the person just eases into it; while others may experience it as a bumpy ride with many stops and starts. For others, like me, the rug is suddenly pulled out from under you and your journey begins.
I’d studied different religions when I was younger but had found that wasn’t what I was looking for. I became comfortable with the idea that when I needed to know more about life, I would find it out then. That worked for many years until my husband passed away, and then I needed the answers immediately. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, but my journey began in earnest with an insatiable need to know.
At that time books, quotes, television programs, and people all began to come into my life at just the time I needed them. One day while watching a television talk show, a quote given by one of the guests grabbed my attention. I ran to get paper and a pencil. I didn’t know why, but I felt compelled to write it down. For some unknown reason, I knew I didn’t want to lose that quote. I couldn’t allow it to just pass through me and be forgotten. Here is what I scribbled.
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
I’d never heard the quote before and didn’t know at the time why it was so important to me, yet in the following few days this same quote came before me two more times. With a little research, I discovered that this is a quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955). And now, several years later, it is this quote that defines it all for me.
Opening to the Possibilities
That quote came into my life just when I needed it… more than once just to be sure I was paying attention. Motivated by needing to understand how life could take away someone I loved and needing to move through my grief to live fully again, I had opened myself to the possibilities and adventures that the universe put before me. The universe responded by providing me with experiences that allowed me to know in my heart of hearts the truth of that quote.
My journey from then until now, from not knowing what spirituality meant to having spirituality become an integral part of my life, has been filled with treasures. The world opened up before me to things I never knew existed, intuition, healing, my soul, my deeper self. I was aware and connected to a much bigger “me” than I knew possible. As I learned more and began to think back on my life, I became aware that even when I was younger I’d always had a connection to my deeper self. I just hadn’t recognized it.
We all have this available to us. The universe is waiting to help us, but we have to get still and quiet enough to hear the whispers of our own spirit. It is important to realize that being quiet isn’t just about meditating. It can be time spent in creating, dreaming, imagining, walking, reading, writing, gardening, and connecting with nature. Whenever we engage in activities that we are passionate about, we become closer to who we really are. These are the times when we can experience those magical moments of grace.
I encourage you to stay open to your personal journey. Find your passions and follow them and trust that the universe will rise up to shine a light on your spiritual path.