The Winds of Grace

"The winds of grace are always blowing, but it is you who must raise your sails."

- Rabindranath Tagore -

I feel the turbulence and confusion out in the world, and have been feeling an underlying exhaustion from the end-of-year hectic pace. Yet I am also feeling strangely exhilarated in these last days of 2019. Curiosity gets me moving—a curiosity that wants to experience the undefinable power Tagore and so many others identify as Grace. Grace is thankfully much larger than my imagination, and its undeniable presence reminds me to nurture any clarity (however tiny), accept the tired feelings, take small steps, and breathe in gratitude.

I used to have a recurring dream of being in a track meet in a large stadium, and when the starting gun went off, all the other runners rushed ahead though I couldn't move because I was knee-deep in mud. Over decades, this sensation of standing still—the frustration that appears when things don't work out—has become a practice instead of a hindrance.

I glance up as I step out of my car and am given the gift of a dove perched on the edge of the roof. It stays still long enough for its beautiful silhouette to be captured against the light of an oncoming storm.

A sick husband. An overnight rainstorm. A cracked tail light. A car repair shop manager and his mechanic fix the shorted-out signal and brake light. For free.

An accreditation course is cancelled. A flurry of panic, until I find another course that is even better, and promises the excitement of new knowledge.

An emergency doctor's appointment is miraculously available because a receptionist is an angel of detail and quick thinking. Two days before Christmas, she is kind, calm, and tracks down a cancellation. For that very day.

The list goes on. Small events that lead to an open heart, an allowing mind, and the surprising Grace of the world around us. When we raise our own sails, and are forever curious about what the wind will bring.