Subtle Shifts...

This morning was difficult.  I didn’t sleep well last night and for me, when I’m tired, negative thoughts tend to run rampant.  And so it was this morning.  I was angry at Spirit, blaming, and playing the victim role.  I did NOT want to participate in my spiritual practices for the morning.  I didn’t want to meditate, didn’t want to visualize, and certainly didn’t feel like doing any prayer work.  I tried, but couldn’t get myself into the mood.  I knew something needed to shift.  Part of me was praying, even though I was not consciously participating.

I had to move my day forward and I needed to take a lemon to work, so I went into the front yard to pick one from our tree.  When I came back inside, I noticed a very, very subtle shift.  I was feeling a teensy bit better.  I noticed it and jumped on it!  What had shifted?  Why had something shifted?  What had I done to open the door that tiny crack?  I went outside.  I touched nature.

So, I followed up.  I went into the back yard - back into nature.  The crack in my mood wasn’t enough to do a full-on affirmative prayer, but there was enough for something simple.  “I need help.  I need something to shift.  I need to know that I can ask for some simple help in feeling better and receive it.”  Up walks my cat, looks me directly in the eye and meows.  I pick her up.  “Are you the answer to my prayer?”  I start to feel a little better.  It’s another subtle shift, but it is a shift in the right direction.  The door was open a little further - far enough for me to hear, “choose this day whom you will serve.”

Who will I serve today?  Will I serve the victim inside that blames everything on Spirit and sets up situations that are seemingly impossible to escape from?  Or, will I serve the Presence that was in the lemon tree that cracked the door, that sent the cat  to look at me in a way she has never done before?  The door flew open the rest of the way.  My choice was clear and today has continued to improve ever since.

It started with a shift so subtle that I almost missed it.  Too often, we look for the obvious shift, the one with spotlights and neon signs.  Those shifts are possible, but more likely than not, it will begin very small.  Recognition of the subtle shifts opens the way for more subtle shifts which will cascade and become greater than the neon sign pointing the way.  

Be open to the subtle shifts.  Look for them.  Don’t worry about the neon signs.  If you’re gonna get one, you won’t need to look for it.  It’ll be clear!  Look for the subtle shifts, recognize them, be grateful, and use them to your advantage!