Writings of a Beholder 🌿 4.21.23
Heaven really is this close
Heaven Really Is This Close
Cups of hot tea warming hands.
Watching birds eating from the birdfeeder.
Noticing momma Robin hunting for worms in our yard for her new chicks.
Light dancing through tree branches as I sit on our back patio.
Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner — my favorite meal.
These are a few of the simple joys that are listed inside the pages of my journal from this week. Eastertide, which began on Easter Sunday and ends on the Day of Pentecost, is a 50-day-long invitation to notice the gifts all around us. It’s a season in the liturgical calendar that beckons us to be delighted and receive the joy in the ordinary and to celebrate and live into the resurrection of Jesus.
What is He resurrecting in me? I often wonder these days.
So, in an effort to find out, I join my friend, Sue, on her quest for joy by chasing it for 50 days all through the Eastertide season. When I remember or feel led to, I may even post it on my Instagram page, filling my corner of social media with rays of Light and God-glory.
As I lean into this practice, I’m finding that I look forward to seeking it out — the joy. I’m finding that I’m hungrier for it than I realized. And I’m also finding that it’s not that hard to find when you’re eyes are wide open to it.
I’ve heard it said a thousand times that joy is something that must be pursued, and as I make my joy-list, I know it to be true right down to the bones in my toes. I can feel the peace settle over me as I let go of my need for more things, status, and achievement and let myself give in to the sheer delight of what’s already in front of me.
God longs to delight us, that much I know.
Because as I look around and see the breeze gently swaying tree branches as afternoon sunlight lingers through and birds sing their spring songs, I’m overcome with a heaven-like serenity. You can’t manufacture a peace like that, it only comes from knowing you are loved and you remember you’re loved when you remember to look up and see the joy — receive the gifts being freely given again and again and again.
I look to my left and a duck waddles by. Yep, a duck, right there in our backyard. And I’m tickled as I laugh and look heavenward thanking God for the sheer gift of her, the laughter and delight she brought with her.
Only God.
Only God can bring delight from what is otherwise downright ordinary. He is the only One Who can make our ordinary extraordinary by filling it with Himself. And it’s always His presence within all things that ultimately brings the joy. Yes, even that duck, her waddling and quacking tickling me pink — God is there.
“You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11, NIV)
Maybe the path to life is really this lifelong pursuit of pursuing God-joy in all things. Even in the hard and difficult and just plain painful. Maybe life comes when we look up and look for His joy-filled presence woven into the very fabric of it all. Maybe His joy is enough — not to diminish or minimize the pain — but to hold it, hold us, and give us Hope for the moment.
This seeking and receiving of joy ultimately leads to praise and gratitude. How could it not? How could we see Him and His giving heart, feel the hands of wonder wrap around our souls and not give thanks to the God Who always gives from a place of deep Love?
Ann Voskamp in her book, One Thousand Gifts, says,
“Joy is the realest reality, the fullest life, and joy is always given, never grasped. God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy.”
I’m learning to see it, to behold it, to listen for it, and lean into it. I’m learning what it means to hold out empty hands and be filled by otherworldly blessings that have nothing to do with me and my striving and everything to do with Who He is and the Love He died to give.
And I realize that’s it — right there. The new life being resurrected in me is this unwrapping of gifts in plain sight. It’s a content heart that was once unsettled, longing for more of the wrong things. It’s a peace that surpasses any and all understanding. It’s a letting go of what I can give so that I can receive what He gives.
It’s this walking the path of life, this fullness of joy wrapped in God-Light, this receiving of gifts and pleasures that emanates the faint scent of eternity.
The smell of freshly cut grass.
The stillness that comes after the alarm goes off and I lay there in the dark whispering good morning.
Henry’s paws on my lap.
Writing this letter to you.
All of it glory — all of it delight.
All of it reminding me that heaven really is this close.
Peace be with you,
Celia
A Breath Prayer for Your Weekend
breathe in:
You fill me with joy.
breathe out:
In Your presence.
*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.
Join the Sacred Spaces Community
Are you longing to be more attentive to God’s presence in your everyday life?
Do you have the desire to know God’s love and grow in deeper communion with Him?
Are you sensing the Spirit’s invitation to grow spiritually but don’t know where to begin?
Do you feel tired, worn out, or burnt out on religion?
Are you craving rest, refreshment of soul, and perhaps a different way of being with God?
In the Sacred Spaces community, we’re going to journey deeper into the heart of God together, putting our ears to His chest as we gently trod toward Homebase, by exploring different Christian contemplative practices that are designed to open our hearts to the Spirit’s leading and loving voice in our souls and lives. By subscribing to Sacred Spaces for just $5 a month, you’ll gain immediate access to:
monthly emails that will be sent out on the 1st of every month containing that month’s spiritual practice, action steps, and tools, outside additional resources, and weekly reflection questions
Soul Care Sessions, where you can book a 30-minute one-on-one Zoom call with me to talk about that month's spiritual practice, what the Lord is revealing to you, or what you're wrestling with. It's an invitation to come as you are as the Holy Spirit leads our time together and cares for your soul
a community chat in the Substack app where you can engage with other community members and me about that month’s email or whatever else may be stirring within you
Click here to join or read more about it:
Resources & Good Things to Pick Up
If you’d like to join me in the practice of pursuing joy this Eastertide season, check out Sue Fulmore’s invitation in this Instagram post of hers, and give her a follow while you’re there: Sue’s Invitation Into Joy
A writerly friend of mine created a journal specifically for keeping track of joy and growing in the practice of seeking it out. You can check it out here on Amazon: Journey Into Joy by Jazmin N. Frank
Writer and spiritual director, Izabela Cormier, offers an online monthly ‘end of the month reset’ giving you an opportunity to reflect and reset at the end of each month. You can sign up here: Monthly Reset
My friend and licensed spiritual director, Kari Bartkus, offers an 8-week journaling program for those who want to process their grief and trauma with God within the safety of blank journal pages. I’ve completed the program myself and can say confidently that it was incredibly impactful and healing: Journal Gently
Grab some breath prayer cards, a journal, and other contemplative resources from my Etsy shop: The Beholding Co.
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. And if you’d like a free 3-day sample of the study, hit reply to this email and I’ll send it right over!
An Invitation to Pause & Reflect
A regular practice of reflection helps us recognize what’s going on beneath the surface of our souls so 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(s) or prompt(s):
What do you sense the Lord wanting to resurrect in you this Eastertide season?
What new growth is sprouting in and around you?
How might the practice of chasing joy form you in this season?
