Recently a friend was going through some stuff – I told her I would pray for her. She asked ‘When did YOU become so religious?’….
I do not consider myself religious - I DO consider myself deeply spiritual
I thought about her question and I remembered a certain Sunday I had a few years ago…
I had gone on a Girls Weekend trip with fellow Jersey girls. A long weekend at the sea. I was the annoying one. The one up at 5AM walking through the morning mist, not wanting to miss the potential of the day. I’ve never been much of a ‘sleeper inner’. So I would walk all over the flat neighborhoods and end up barefoot in the foamy surf. A random dog or person jogging was all that I would see sharing my sand. Other than that…the ocean was mine!
I’ve often described the ocean as the earth breathing. I can feel the vibration through my entire being. The salt clears the mind and the lungs. Ionically the water tumbling back and forth and the rhythmic nature of the tides will induce an innate meditative quality within me. I just feel better, more primitive, more content, closer to myself, a divine connectedness.
Water has always been a priority in my life. Always. I believe in its ability to restore the soul. The mystery and depths of the seas mirror timeless questions of existence. My children have long given up on my awareness of any proximity to water. Long ago they ceased to be amazed at my ability to ‘call’ a water source being close by. I could almost feel it – I still can. We will be driving and I’ll wave my hand and say ‘there’s water over there’. It’s met with many an eye-roll now. It’s always been like that for me. A loved one of mine wanted to move to a desert dry like area. I shuddered. Lakes, streams, seas, make up the foundation of my safety requirements for life, a core requirement.
So here we were, on the last day of our trip…Sunday.
We found an elevated restaurant on the boardwalk to have brunch in. We sat by the window. I had a birdseye view of the footed path below. I gazed out the window as my friends chattered. I was with them but detached in a way. I began looking at the people and an excerpt from Coleridges’ Rime of the Ancient Mariner – played through my mind
O happy living things; no tongue
Their beauty might declare
A spring of love gushed from my heart
And I blessed them unaware
Sure my kind saint took pity on me
And I blessed them unaware
As people went about their walk, I began to direct a quick good energy intention toward them. A mini prayer of sorts. The man looking downcast; I prayed for his heart to be light. The woman looking worried holding the hand of a child; I prayed for her clarity in decisions and faith in herself. The lonely person; I sent an intention of love and comfort…and on and on it went for a while. As I did this a smile crept across my face. My heart became both happy and settled and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I prayed for them unaware. Imagine what this world could be if we all did that. Someone could be doing it this very moment for you and you may not even know it!
What if you returned the favor? Prayed it forward? Make it a goal to pick 3 random people you see throughout your day that you don’t directly know. Direct a good intention and well wishes toward them. Who couldn’t use that?! You won’t be sorry – Good Energy put out there will build!
My favorite poem continues:
The self same moment that I could pray
And from my neck so free
The albatross fell off and sank
Like lead into the sea
I believe that prayer and good intentions will set the soul free.
Try it.
Try it.
Good energy to you unaware. And if you happen to have read this – a prayer to you as well!
