Trust The Journey
"All meet together everywhere, and in your meetings wait upon the Lord. And take heed of forming words, but mind the Power, and know that which is eternal, which will keep you all in unity, walking in the Spirit, and will let you see the Lord near you and among you."
George Fox
On the day I could find no hope, I chose a series of actions that have helped me in the past. I started with cleaning out my inbox. This discipline is much like how I approach vacations. I cannot go on vacation unless my house is spotless, including the garage. This drives my husband crazy. Cleaning out my inbox, organizing my desk, gathering pen, paper, books and a cup of coffee in just the right mug...all of this is necessary preparation for a spiritual quest.
The journey often involves massive amounts of procrastination early in the trip, but on this particular day, I went looking and found what I needed within three clicks. Paulette Meier (a Quaker activist and singer) had appeared on Mike Morrell’s podcast and he conveniently sent out an email with notes from the session. (I have never received anything from him before; I have no clue who he is or how he ended up in my inbox.) My intent was to scan, delete and unsubscribe. What actually occurred was way more complicated.
Paulette says, “Quakerism began in 17th century England at a time that was also filled with trauma and peril. Two civil wars ravaged the country, and the plague killed 100,000 people in London alone, followed by the Great Fire that burnt the city down, leaving thousands homeless. There was a great deal of corruption and mistrust of political leaders, and brutal punishments were doled out to those who were deemed a political threat, not the least of which were the Quakers. With conditions that seemed almost apocalyptic, many people searched for deeper meaning in their lives than what they could find from the clerical churches.”
Woah. This, I thought, sounds familiar. In that quick scan I uncovered a directional sign; with lightning speed my malaise lifted. My very being hummed in anticipation of the encouragement that I knew I would find if I kept digging. Tomorrow, I will share some of what I unearthed.
