HEALER

I had another friend come by to visit me today.  I bumped into her on my walk this morning and she's kept me company since. 

This morning I went for a stroll, desperate to see or hear from God.  I just wanted something, anything, to let me know that I wasn't in the fog alone.  As I walked, raindrops began to fall.  What's with this, Lord?  I questioned. It had been sunny a mere hour ago.  Why did it have to rain now, when I was so exposed to the elements and I already felt crummy inside?  I felt like God was mocking me. 

Still, I pressed on.  My footsteps fell to the rhythm of "Lord-have-mer-cy, Christ-have-mer-cy."  I was heading toward my place of solace - the Japanese Garden in our neighbourhood.

I arrived at the garden and stood by a tree, taking in the small waterfall, the rocks and remembering the vibrantly coloured spring flowers that were now gone.  I watched as the raindrops hit the pond, causing circles of ripples to expand and intersect with each other.  The raindrops were falling closer and closer together.  Apparently the cloud overhead needed to unload right then.  Pretty soon the ripples were indistinguishable.  In their place, a very agitated pond surface.  I felt dismayed.  But as I looked, it seemed to me as if the raindrops were dancing.  Someone had choreographed their landing patterns.  And I happened to be there to witness their dance.  Soon, the dance was over and the overlapping circles of ripples returned.  It was time for me to walk back toward home.

Interestingly, as I observed myself walking away, I realized that my soul was now at peace.  I paused to smell the jasmine blossoms and even laughed as a crow very vocally followed me along a hundred feet or so. 

It was as if God cried for me at the garden.  His tears fell on behalf of my pain.  And I, sheltered by a tree, had watched them fall all around me.  No words had been exchanged.  No words were needed.

My friend, Beauty, had shown her face.  And my soul understood.