The summer of 2014 our family worked on a garden path. The path started on Memorial weekend and we completed it by the 4^th of July. In the middle of June and in the middle of this project, a major event rippled through the family, creating waves that shook a few stones loose in my “life path”.  In my quiet time I was inspired to write….

Events happen in life; these are the stepping stones that are being placed to make the path known as your personal journey through life. Each stone is laid down filled with sand and rock in the cracks. Then comes the rain that turns it to mud – and it runs down throughout the cracks and spills over the edge. The mud becomes the glue that binds the stones together. The rain is the relationships, too much will do damage, not enough will not make mud. The sun is what dries the mud and hardens it. Giving it the stability it needs to hold those events in place. The sun is God, shining the truth on the path. A constant balance is needed.

This path building is hard work. It is back breaking work. Constantly laying stone, filling it with dirt and hoping for rain and  sun, then laying down the next stone. I have been handed many stones in the past few weeks, one that is quite large. I quickly lay the stone and fill the cracks, pouring relationship into it by sharing and connecting, praying to God in my alone time to concrete the stones to the path. One stone is huge and has taken great strength to place it. The cracks are deep and will need much sand and rock. I have poured myself into it and I am waiting for it to harden. I might need more mud and much more sun to make this one stick. It has worn me out. I need to finish this stone before I can move on, but it is a huge task and I am tired.

This huge stone has also shaken my world enough to loosen many stones of my past. The grout has washed away because of my lack of attention when they were first placed and now the integrity of the path depends on me repairing those stones. It is frustrating. Did I mention that I was tired?

A book has been given to me by a friend. She gave me this gift of her favorite book to speak to me and with it brings the rain shower I desperately need. “The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran” and reading this entry I receive the nourishment I need to gather my strength to continue.

And a man said, Speak to us of Self-Knowledge, and he answered saying:  Your heart knows in silence the secrets of the days and the nights.  But your ears thirst for the sound of your heart’s knowledge.  You would know in words that which you have always known in thought.  You would touch with your fingers the naked body of your dreams.

And it is well you should.  The hidden well-spring of your soul must need rise and run murmuring to the sea;  And the treasure of your infinite depts. would be revealed to your eyes.  But let there be no scales in weigh your unknown treasure;  And seek not the depths of your knowledge with staff or sounding line.  For self is a sea boundless and measureless.

Say not, “I have found the truth,” but rather “I have found a truth” .  Say not “I have found the path of the soul.”  Say rather, “I have met the soul walking upon my path.”  For the soul walks on all paths.  The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed.  The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

Huge events need time to settle into the path. The soul wants to fix the loose stones and stabilize the current stones but the self wants to hurry up and make the path as long as possible. I have caught that contagious disease of time. It rules over me and taunts me as it spins and spins. I need to finish my path before it’s too late. Too late for what?   I must prove my ability to build a long path and grab the “world’s” attention before I fade away – is that the too late? The world says it’s the length of one’s path that is important, but the soul says stability. So my soul says wait and to deal with these stones or all that you have lain will wash away. The integrity of the path depends on me to finish this task then turn around and repair the stones I have ignored. The integrity of the garden of my soul depends on it.

I can repair those past stones now. I did not have the relationships and I did not have God. Two important components to path building.   I have both now and repairing will be possible, if I am willing to go back. It will take courage and it will take precious time.

It took this last major event, this huge stone, to realize that I am pushing myself to hurry up and move on. In my “Self Knowledge” I listen to my heart and I now have the ability to place that knowledge into words for my ears to hear. Slow down. Take time with this one or it will end up like all those others. Deal with this one slowly and carefully, it is a huge stone and will take up vital space in your path, it needs to be secure.

The knowledge that I gained in the time spent with the “sun” makes my soul sing. I can feel it opening those petals, “petals like a lotus” and I expand to make room for its beauty. I will go back to mend those stones, but first I must deal with this one. And the wisdom I gain from dealing with this one will aid me in the repairs of the old. Moving forward is important, but so is maintaining what has been laid.

I believe that the tiredness I felt comes from the soul not being heard. I can hear its sigh of relief as I type these words. Words that energize me. Yes my soul, I hear you….