I bless the night that nourished my heart
To set the ghosts of longing free
Into the flow and figure of dream
That went to harvest from the dark
Bread for hunger no one sees.
All that is eternal in me
Welcomes the wonder of this day,
The field of brightness it creates
Offering time for each thing
To arise and illuminate.
I place on the altar of dawn:
The quiet loyalty of breath,
The tent of thought where I shelter,
Waves of desire I am shore to
And all beauty drawn to the eye.
May my mind come alive today
To the invisible geography
That invites me to new frontiers,
To break the dead shell of yesterdays,
To risk being disturbed and changed.
May I have the courage today
To live the life that I would love,
To postpone my dream no longer
But do at last what I came here for
And waste my heart on fear no more.
-John O’Donohue, excerpt from To Bless the Space Between Us, Morning Offerings
John has such a beautiful and precise way of unearthing knowings within the heart.
“Bread for hunger no one sees.” Take a moment, breathe slowly, and ask Jesus what is the hunger within you no one sees, but whose pangs you feel in your soul.
“All that is eternal in me.” Remember today that you are eternal. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts. How would reminding your heart that you are an eternal being shift your perspective?
“The quiet loyalty of breath.” In Genesis 2:7, we are invited into the moment when the breath of God brought to life and animated the human soul. That loyal breath is why we are alive right now in this very moment. Perhaps you could take a few moments to thank God for the loyalty of gifting us His breath, every second of every day of our lives.
“To rise being disturbed and changed.” Many times we resist being disturbed because we know it may call for us to change behaviors, beliefs, perspectives. What fears arise when you entertain the idea of allowing God to disturb your set ways?
“And waste my heart on fear no more.” What fears are you wasting your heart on? What does it mean to you to “waste your heart”? If it is hard to uncover those fears, stop and ask Jesus to reveal this to you.
Isn’t this view utterly dreamy? Views like this are one of my favorite memories from my pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.
Now I’m inviting you to return with me on a pilgrimage of your own. I will be your guide, along with two other lovely co-hosts and a growing group of women seeking a journey for their contemplative soul.
Want more information? Click here.
(By the way, that dessert in the photo is Millionaire Shortbread. Hands down the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.)