Tags
discern, face of God, gratitude, habits, prayer, reflection, retreat, silence, Sufism, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth
It is said that “old habits die hard.” I was aware of that in a small way during the days of retreat from which I returned yesterday. Each morning when I awoke to the sounds of silence one of my first thoughts was of my daily writing task. Since I had announced the 5-day hiatus, I was able with just a grateful breath to simply turn toward the silence and enter the day where the only speaking was in sessions of prayer & reflection on the mystical practices of Sufism. What became the most obvious truth for me swirled around and into every hour of the day in the words of the chant: Wherever I turn, there is the face of God.
In the events of each day lie the seeds of gratitude for all the possible learnings available to us if we look deeply and surrender at every turn. Sometimes the face of God is easy to see but sometimes, if we look in a mirror, it is up to us to discern the truth of the face that looks back at us and how we are to act in response.