dailydatewithgod

It seems foreign to us that something good can come from closing.  We want to know how long things are open.  We look to connect with others who are open.  Life is fuller when approached with an open perspective and heart.  Yet always slanting towards open is like only ever breathing in.  It doesn’t work, at least not if we want to live.  There is a coming and a going.  There is pushing and pulling.  There is sound and quiet.  This flow of life applies to opening and closing.  If we want to experience the natural course of things we are encouraged to face the times of closing.  We close chapters in our lives.  We close a relationship.  We close a job.  We choose moments when to be closed off to others.  We make sure we show up before the store closes.  Closing or turning off provides a time of darkness.  A time to rest from the awareness.  It can be a time of restoration.  We are not meant to stay there anymore than we can only exhale. Accepting the flow of nature requires a leap of faith.  The faith giving us courage to trust that what is closing will open again.  There are times in my life when I felt completely closed off my heart from myself and others.  Even if I wanted to open the door of my heart, I did not know how to do it without quickly feeling like I was either bleeding or needed to close off again.  It is the daily persistence of showing up for my dates with God who is always fully present and open that increased my courage.  Seeing that I could show up for myself and be willing to let go of closing for just a small amount of time gave me a chance to alter my perception of what it meant to be open.