Over the weekend the wind caused a large tree in front of our kitchen window to split and be caught on the tree next to it. My brother-in-law came over and cut it down. When the tree was severed, part of it crashed down on the paved driveway making a loud cracking sound. I thought that it almost “hurt” to hit that pavement so hard. Another huge chunk hit the grass with a muffled thud, seeming much less painful.
It occurred to me that when the pains we face in life crash into us, wouldn’t it be better to receive our pain like grass instead of like pavement? In time of pain, sadness, and difficulty keeping our heart soft and resilient like the grass can only hasten our healing, as well as let us readily absorb the teachings and lessons brought about by our pain. Keeping our heart as hard as pavement receives the pain of life with a loud cracking. The pain shatters and pieces scatter. The road to healing is prolonged by having to spend time gathering the pieces and sitting among them trying to piece them back together so healing and learning can begin.
In my journey over these past months I have learned this. I know my life holds many more difficult times. Many of them will crash into me without warning, but through daily effort to emulate the grass, I should hope to embrace my pain with a quiet, gentler, spirit rather than have it shatter against a hard, angry heart.
No where in life does a hard, angry heart trump an open one filled with only peace, for it is how we receive our pain that determines our progress toward healing and growth.
And so, as another day goes by, the Earth once again teaches me, and….I have written.
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