Writings of a Beholder 🌿
a weekly letter for those longing to slow down, seek still moments, and behold God’s presence with them in the everyday.
Weekly writings of a beholder 🌿
Yesterday, September 22nd, was the first day of fall; the official changing of one season to another.Â
As I write this letter to you, my screen door is cracked open and I can feel the chilly air and smell the crispness of autumn. Even my front yard tree is starting to turn from bright green to shades of crimson, orange, and gold.
Just as the trees respond to this season by letting their leaves fall, we too, are invited to fall; to let go of the old, to rest, dwell, and abide to make room for new growth that’s sure to come.Â
But before the new growth can come, there must first be a falling.Â
Have you ever noticed the way leaves fall? If not, I would invite you to take notice of this the next time you’re outdoors. They don’t drop all at once, falling harshly, landing on the ground suddenly with a loud thump.Â
Because of their lightness, they float gently to the ground, swaying slightly on the way down as they’re being carried by the breeze.Â
This is how the Holy Spirit invites us to fall, surrender, and let go. Not all at once, not harshly or suddenly or in our own strength.Â
But rather lightly, gently, being carried by His love and strength as we surrender to His plan and purpose, trusting that what we’re leaving behind doesn’t compare to what this new season holds.Â
So today, I ask you, friend, what are you being invited to let go of in this new season? What is the Holy Spirit whispering to your soul today?Â
As you prayerfully contemplate this question today, I want to offer you some words from John O’Donohue’s poem titled, ‘For a New Beginning’, and maybe in reading it, something will stir within you and the Lord will speak words of truth and love over you as you step into this new season, your own new beginning.Â
"In out-of-the-way places of the heart, Where your thoughts never think to wander, This beginning has been quietly forming, Waiting until you were ready to emerge. For a long time it has watched your desire, Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, Noticing how you willed yourself on, Still unable to leave what you had outgrown. It watched you play with the seduction of safety And the gray promises that sameness whispered, Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent, Wondered would you always live like this. Then the delight, when your courage kindled, And out you stepped onto new ground, Your eyes young again with energy and dream, A path of plenitude opening before you. Though your destination is not yet clear You can trust the promise of this opening; Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning That is at one with your life's desire. Awaken your spirit to adventure; Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; Soon you will be home in a new rhythm, For your soul senses the world that awaits you."
May this fall season be a season of new beginnings, and may we have the courage to trust the promise of this new opening and unfurl ourselves into the grace of beginning again.
xo,
celia
A breath prayer for your weekend
breathe in:
As I fall, Lord.
breathe out:
I fall into You.
*if you’d like to learn more about the practice of breath prayer, check out this blog post I wrote titled, How to Use Breath Prayer.
Resources & fun things to pick up
This week on the blog, we unpacked the spiritual practice of journaling and how writing can be a powerful tool in deepening our relationship with God: Journaling as a Spiritual Practice: For the Beginners and Those Who Want to Begin Again
My friend and fellow writer, Kari Bartkus, is opening up enrollment for a course called Journal Gently which is an 8-week program designed to help you use writing as a way to process hurt, grief, and trauma with God. I’m finishing up week 8 of the course myself, and I can’t tell you how much I recommend it to any and all!
Writer and blogger, Sarah E. Westfall, sends out a weekly newsletter titled ‘The Shelf’, and this week she extended the invitation to be both soft and strong; a reminder I feel we all need sometimes: A Battle Worth Fighting
Grab some helpful, beholding resources over on my Etsy shop, The Beholding Co. Available right now are some breath prayer cards, a spiral-bound journal, and a Lectio Divina Bible bookmark.
Grab a copy of my Bible study, You Are Beloved: a 21-day study on how to root your identity in the love of God, over on Amazon.
An invitation to pause & reflect
A regular practice of reflection helps us recognize what’s going on beneath the surface of our souls so that we can name it in the Lord’s presence. Because as we learn to name what we feel, what we need, and what we long for, we’re also learning to discern the Spirit’s sweet, gentle voice within our hearts and lives.
Take a few moments today or this weekend to journal or contemplate with the Holy Spirit the following question:
What are you being invited to let go of in this new season? How do you feel about falling before growing?
xo,
celia
What a lovely email to receive! I will think of this email every time I see leaves falling this autumn :). I especially love the poem by John O'Donohue. I've been thinking of the themes found in that poem lately.