I tiptoed over the precarious rocks, some of which slid under my feet. I was being called siren-like to an orange dot in the distance, which proved to be a sponge. As I traversed the uneven terrain, I considered the story of Persephone ending up in Hades due to her attraction to a beautiful narcissus. But when I got closer to the sponge, I saw a small rock embraced and sheltered by a much larger rock and was instead reminded of God’s love.
Bits of abalone shell tucked into the stones looked like precious jewels. That’s how we appear to God, I thought.
A ginger-like seaweed resembled a rough hand sans finger. I thought of all those who have lost parts of their bodies through genetic anomalies, surgeries, accidents, war. God still sees everyone as whole.
A kelp bulb hung over a rock, its round purple-pink roots graduating to flat gold-olive streamers that twisted into a fat braid. No matter what our surface color is, we are intertwined and come from the same root.
A jellyfish washed up on the beach reminded me how transparent we really are: God can see right through our makeshift walls.
Another kelp lay on a bed of sand. It was dressed in bright fuchsia complemented by a burst of green ribbon. Yet it still couldn’t shake its dark shadow. We all must face our own shadows because they accompany us into The Light. Observe, befriend and accept your shadow without judgment and you will understand Mercy.
Finally, a lone stone nestled into the curve of a boulder’s shoulder. I remembered the many times I had rested in God the way a child rests upon a parent’s chest or a lover rests upon their beloved. Whenever we are weary we are invited to rest within the love of God.
All photos © Sondra Sula.
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