A Grace of Being

Sometimes the world is too much with us. Its weight, its gravity pulls us down, constricting possibilities, extinguishing imagination, and mocking hope. In times like these, we need to reach deeper and higher. Going deeper into our selves we seek untapped reserves of courage, we summon strength to persevere, and we recall exemplars, those people in our lives whose example offers us insight and wisdom. Their ability to live well despite adversity suggests that we can do the same. They become our companions and their encouragement literally puts heart into us. If fear and anxiety are not completely vanquished, they at least become manageable, no longer a source of paralysis and despair. In this way, the impossible becomes difficult, and the difficult, possible.

But reaching deeper is not enough; we must also reach higher as we connect with resources beyond our self. Perhaps it is the divine, perhaps it is the spirit of life, or perhaps it is simply the life force that permeates all of creation, ineffable, but real. By whatever name, it offers to us a grace of being in which we are invisibly, but reliably supported. It may simply be a self-fulfilling prophecy, but we find ourselves renewed, energized, and hopeful. The burden of the world shifts enough so that we can begin to act in ways that are beneficial.

Reaching deeper and higher is essential, but it is not sufficient. We must also reach out to those around us. By asking for help, we invite the handclasp, the warm embrace, and the encouraging word. These are reminders that we are not alone, that a circle of caring surrounds us. We accept this care with the full and certain knowledge that at another time we will add our care to the circle. Thus care becomes a renewable resource, a gift that grows by giving, a grace of being by which we are all immeasurably enriched.