The Merge

What is it about nature that makes me feel closer to God?
Perhaps I feel less hemmed in, even when surrounded by flora.
Or free, as if I could fly away at any moment to someplace new.
I feel alone, yet not alone.
Comforted by the tall grasses reaching toward me in a way that makes me feel accepted.
I am not being judged for being broken,
or past my prime.
I see beauty all around me;
and beauty sees me.
I am unknown yet known.
I am loved in a way that makes me feel equal to everything.
I merge…

Photos © Sondra Sula.

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.

Meeting Grace on McCloud Waterfalls Trail

Good things come in threes, and the triple waterfalls of the McCloud River in Siskiyou County were no exception.
The lower falls were small, but pretty. In their defense, my husband and I visited in autumn when the river is at its lowest.
Had we been there in spring, when glaciers and snow melt from the top of Mount Shasta, we were sure the flow would have been much more dramatic.
In fact, we could see pools
and holes made from years of rushing water.
We hiked uphill to the next stop, passing enormous ponderosa pines
and bunches of umbrella plants growing in and around the water.
The middle falls were beautiful and stretched across the entire width of the river.
I scrambled down into the riverbed to explore
and discovered a sacredness there, like being cradled in a holy womb.
I found it difficult to leave that place, bathed in its comforting glory, but continued ever upward, which gave me the unexpected joy of viewing Middle Falls from above.
Naturally, we had high hopes for the upper falls, imagining the waterfalls to be increasingly spectacular. There is an idea instilled in us that the most difficult things reap the greatest rewards.
But that idea doesn’t take grace into account. The middle falls ended up being the loveliest — perhaps because that was where I was simply resting within God, doing nothing to accrue favor.

Photos © Sondra Sula.

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.

Love

Love. 
Love. 
Love.
The word “love” can be used in many ways.
“I love my car.”
“I love my handbag.”
“I love sharks.”
“I love fishing.”
“I love turtles.”
“I love the idea of exchanging rings. It lets everyone know we love each other.”
Some people love love itself.
They want to capture it.
Control it.
Lock it down.
But can two hearts really be locked together?
Is one always clinging more than the other?
God’s love is different. It is the key and combination to every lock. It is freedom.

Photos © Sondra Sula.

Take a walk with me by reading my most recent daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.

Embracing Transition

“Sudden Change” by Sondra Sula

There are moments in life when a realization dawns that it’s time to move on. Perhaps the move is sudden, in mid-stride, like a cicada breaking free from its wingless exoskeleton to explore a life of flying. Or it can be subtle, like an inkberry transitioning from bud to fruit along its stem, changing gradually.

“Considering Flight” by Sondra Sula

“Gradual Transition” by Sondra Sula

I fall into the sweet pea category. Everything is happening at once on the sweet pea vine: buds, blooms, beans. One part of me feels energetic and green, ready to take on the world with open-eyed wonder. Another part feels in full flower, that I am exactly who I was always meant to be. Simultaneously, I feel spent—my colors are fading, my suppleness withering.

And within this still point at which all time collides, I welcome the bean. The pod looks nothing like the flower and keeps growing beyond previous boundaries. The bean, like encapsulated wisdom, contains everything necessary to recreate itself. This fresh incarnation may mimic its predecessor, but is actually an entirely new plant.

However one chooses to move on, be it dramatically or imperceptibly, embracing the change is the surest way to fully enjoy the freedoms a new stage of growth provides.

“Welcoming the Bean” by Sondra Sula

Spider Versus Fly

“Spider Caught in the Act” by Sondra Sula

Flies are common. Flies are everywhere. Flies are a nuisance to people and animals. Flies often get caught in webs. In spider versus fly, spider almost always wins.

“Flies and Fleurs” by Sondra Sula

I like flies. They are amazingly varied, and yes, quite beautiful, even when I know what they’re up to—vomiting on my skin and whatnot. After all, flies are part of creation, and rather clever helpers in their larval stage. Maggots have been used in medicine for ages, and still are. They clean dead flesh from wounds quickly and efficiently without ever harming live tissue, and their saliva even has antibacterial properties. The deftest surgeon can’t trim with such magnificent precision.

“Fly, Fly Away” by Sondra Sula

A lowly fly may be no match against a spider that can build an elegant, gossamer web and patiently lie in wait for a dire judgment error. But until the fly is caught, trapped, and eaten, it can literally fly. It’s as free as the wind, can zoom anywhere it chooses, and alight on stationary or moving targets.

A spider can swing through the air tethered by its silk, but that only amounts to bungee jumping. It must crawl, hop, sway, or hitchhike to explore. A spider can also be squashed unintentionally, whereas a fly can outwit a swatting hand or rolled up newspaper quite effortlessly.

“Hoverfly on Yarrow” by Sondra Sula

I think I’ll stick with the humble fly. Perhaps I just feel more comfortable with wings.