The Quiet Beneath the Chaos

"Let there be an opening into the quiet that lies beneath the chaos, where you find the peace you did not think possible and see what shimmers within the storm."

~ John O'Donohue

We woke to a dusting of snow on the ground this morning. The first snow of the season. The sun sparkled on everything! The evergreen needles and lingering beech and oak leaves were encrusted in icy lace that caught the sun's light. Every tree branch shimmered in the still frosty air. Our whole world seemed suspended in a glittering sea of crystals. It was magical! My mood was bright. The sparkling world around me seemed to reflect the flurry of anticipation and hope dancing like sprites within me — a welcome change from the tension and anxieties of the past several months.

Change is upon us and today is a day unlike any other, one that will shape our lives in profound ways. I am hopeful, yet know that we can expect the unexpected. This quote by John O'Donohue really speaks to me and illustrates the quality and presence that brings me strength and resolve — that when everything has become fatigued by the relentless fight for justice, for upholding beauty and grace in the face of that which seeks to destroy what our hearts love, that beneath it all lies an omnipresent good, a peace and quiet that is indestructible and can never be taken away. All that is asked of us is that we continue to see the beauty all around us and never stop believing in the power of our words and our actions.

I felt hopeful as I walked through the woods this morning surrounded by the sparkles glittering off of the fresh dusting of snow. It seemed that no matter what our future holds, this profound presence of divine grace I was witnessing lighting up the world all around me can never be taken away and is always present and available to connect with. The secret is in choosing to be open to it and to let it guide me. Even in the chaos, there is a calmness, a serene truth — strong and unbending.

Standing here on the threshold between what once was and what will be, more than anything else, I feel this sense of calm. No matter what unfolds on this most pivotal day, I know that beauty and grace surround us.

Photo Credit - Janet MacPherson Moller