You know how an old story or an old song will suddenly burst with new meaning when you’re in a different place on your journey? Well, I’m having one of those moments!
Fair warning… this may be one of those stories where you kind of had to be there but, if you’ll hang with me, I’m betting you’ll find a spark of something just for you!
The story seems to start — but of course it doesn’t — on a teaching retreat I was blessed to attend with the folks from Channel Your Genius Academy this weekend.
Our topic was, in its most basic sense, getting un-stuck. (At least that’s what I heard through my filters from other traditions!)
The ah-ha moment for me had to do with MOTION as a key to getting where I want to go.
(Time out for duh’s and laughter!)
The thing is, we were talking about both literal and metaphorical motion.
After years of pain and orthopedic challenges, I’m all over the metaphorical kind of motion but more than a little resistant to the literal.
We’ll return to this in a bit.
First, calendar check!
“Today” is Halloween. Here’s our coping strategy…
But, today being Halloween means that tomorrow is All Saints Day and that gives me a chance to tell, once again, one of my favorite seminary stories.
Dr. Walter Brueggemann preaching in chapel on All Saints Day… After acknowledging that it was, perhaps, a bit outside the Reformed theology world view in which we were being “raised,” Walter said this:
The Saints are all those who believe for us on days when we can’t quite believe for ourselves.
Leaping a bit, but perhaps not so very far, we come to one of my personal Saints, a guy named Puddleglum.
For the for the uninitiated, Puddleglum is a Marsh Wiggle, who, with the Prince and some children, is being held by the Witch, who is busy explaining why their journey to Narnia is juvenile and futile. Puddleglum isn’t having it. Let’s listen in…
“One word, Ma’am,” he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. “One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things — trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.”
C.S. Lewis, The Silver Chair, The Chronicles of Narnia
Now, I’ve loved this story for ages, but yesterday, in the midst of our retreat, I realized that part of the power is that Puddleglum is MOVING, even though anybody with half an ounce of sense knows it’s scary!
If you’ve been reading along for a bit, you know that I’m partial to questions. So, predictably, I asked a few in that retreat, which involved rather a lot of risking being the odd kid on my part.
One of those questions had to do with HOW we started putting what we were learning to work for us.
The answer, from Mellissa, our slightly quirky fearless leader, following in the footsteps of one of her biggest teachers, was GIRAFFE.
Really!
And then I got it. You see, the glimpse of the painting with which we began is known as Blossom and Aria. Aria is the Abundance Muse with the winged eye. Blossom is the mystical giraffe who appeared beside her in the last stages of the painting, despite the fact that I had no idea how or why to paint a giraffe.
Now I know more.
Specifically, that MOTION, now known as GIRAFFE, is the key to the abundance of body, mind, spirit, and community I so desire. I suspect it will take many kinds of motion. Today, I’m starting with dog brushing!
For now, may you feel your Saints believing for you, and believe for someone else.
ps… Lately, I’ve come to realize that Grandmothers are especially suited for Walter’s notion of being saints… of believing for our littles when they can’t quite believe for themselves!
I love Walter. He was in our church for many years. His preaching always stirred me. I may not remember his words but the feeling of movement of the Spirit always moved me into a new place. If you think about it that is what learning and asking questions is about MOTION TO A NEW PLACE!
THANK YOU for the push to move! I am a big fan of physical movement and will probably do a lot of that today! Its important. Namaste’
Oh, dear Fran… The movement of the Spirit, is soooo what learning and asking questions are about…MOTION TO A NEW PLACE! So glad to be on the journey with you! Tomorrow… the movement of setting up my studio for Vivid Tapestry! Hugs, Sister! (ps… I love Walter, too! Have you read “Finally Comes the Poet”? One of his older books, and still one of my favorites!)