A Day of Grace

     This is February 29, 2012 we don't get as many February 29th's as we do every other day in the year, because this day only comes every four years.  So, a day of grace, a holy day.   Quite literally a day of grace because I promised myself to make blog entries, at least two a month at the beginning of the year; so here I am, graced with an extra day in February to complete it.
     On the subject of committing myself to spiritual awakening I have this to say: Yes, I believe I have made that commitment with my life.  I don't think we commit ourselves to spiritual awakening and then it happens once and we are "awake".  It isn't  like magic and  something happens that makes us whole, undivided, full of joy etc... I think we can have many spiritual awakenings over our lifetime.  I can think of many over the past 15 years or so; Mission, the Seminary, Centering Prayer and "A Course in Miracles" just to name a few off the cuff.  My guess is we become a little more spiritually aware each minute we live if we are open to it.  
     I have noticed that this year, different from any other time, I feel drawn to learn other things besides just reading theology books, or other books closely related to that field.  I am learning something about Astronomy, Linguistics, Jazz, and French; a wide variety of topics.  This too is part of my spiritual awakening.  Committing yourself to Spiritual Awakening is the most important part of this journey that we call our lives. The next step is being open to all the possibilities.  
     Sometimes the word we hear, the direction we take in our lives needs a shift.  A very good friend of mine sent me a Jewish prayer that follows:

Once or twice in a lifetime, 

A man or woman may choose

A radical leaving having heard

"LechL'cha-- Go Forth

God disturbs us toward our destiny

--By hard events and by freedom's now urgent voice

Which explode and confirm who we are.

We don't like leaving, 

But God loves becoming.

I am doing my best to be open to new directions.