Finding Hope in Difficult Times
~ Thoughts on how nature’s presence and wisdom can help us when times are difficult ~
How is your heart feeling today?
As I write, my heart is feeling a tad fluttery (emotionally, that is). Yesterday it felt rather heavy. With this ongoing pandemic I think we’re all going through constant ups and downs at the moment. And you know what? That’s a perfectly natural response.
We’re living with such uncertainty at the moment (particularly in the UK…). One minute the vaccines are going to bring back “normal” (whatever that is), the next minute we’re hearing some of them may not work against virus mutations…
And here in England we’re still in our third Covid-induced lock down … <Sigh>
Recently I was invited onto BBC Radio Solent, to chat with Katie Martin on her breakfast show, to offer listeners some ‘soul wisdom’ on how can we look forward with hope, even if there doesn’t seem to be anything to look forward to.
At first I scratched my head as to what on Earth I could possibly say… but then I looked out of the window and saw some crocuses just starting to come into bud in my garden.
And my energy shifted as this thought emerged in my mind: “life always finds its way”.
And it surely does… Look to what’s going on in nature around you and you will see life finding its way. Here in the northern hemisphere we’ve just passed Imbolc – the first day of spring in the Celtic tradition. Life is returning, renewing, re-emerging. The days are perceptibly longer. Tree buds are forming on otherwise bare branches…
And even though much of the UK has had snow in the past few days and it feels we’re in winter’s grip – still the pulse of life is moving through its natural cycles as daffodil foliage is rising, snowdrops are dancing, crocuses are budding up.
Spring ALWAYS follows winter.
So even if you feel like you’re in the depths of winter emotionally or spiritually, how would it be to trust that an inner spring will arrive eventually? It might not be today. Or tomorrow. But surely it will come.
This is the profound spiritual lesson Mother Earth teaches us. Life moves in cycles. Life finds its ways to renew. There is no rush. It has its own divine, mysterious timing. But, for sure, you can trust that rebirth follows death; spring follows winter; hope and renewal follow grief…
So how would it be to trust in Mother Earth to hold you and support you and to guide you on your way? Feeling into this knowledge brings me much comfort, solace and hope when I’m feeling troubled.
My dearest wish is that these words will land in your heart and remind you of the soul medicine that connecting to Mother Earth may bring you.
