Love Waits...

Love waits, it sits in patience and mercy...love waits in grace, in compassion, in hope for our steps to healing, to our coming back from the grave...from the hellacious pit we resided in, climbed from, emerging from the dark into soft light, into a walk free of fear...free from fear of reprisal, of hate and rage in micro and mega bursts designed to maim, to harm, to control and subjugate.

Love waits to guide our steps to completion...

Grace steps in line to accompany each foot fall, each inch accomplished and rejoiced over.

Hope falls upon shoulders bowed from defeat and exhaustion of mind, heart, body, soul and spirit, to lift the chin...to bring eyes up from the ground to the heavens from whence comes our help.

Mercy...ah, mercy...it speaks in dulcet tones of kindness and compassion...it breathes new life into dry bones, breathes for us when all seems lost...

Love waits...love saves...as we move in grace, in mercy, in hope, love permeates every cell, every stray thought of shame, regret, sorrow and angst.

As I made my way out to true Northern forests in the back of beyond I wandered in awe at the mountainous vistas meeting our gaze. I watched as the young man on my crew stood in silence on Sakeniche beach taking in the rising of white-capped mountains out of the lake below. I explored with the young woman working with us this year...and marvelled together at the wonders along the beach and beyond.

I took time to plunk myself down on the furthest outcropping of land to take in 180 degrees of view that stole my breath, that lifted my spirits, that installed hope and gave wings to long dormant emotions.

I listened with half an ear as the two made their way around the site, and just breathed it all in...and in doing so, felt all cares fall away in light of grander vistas....the beautifully chunky, shiny black bear standing and observing our approach and subsequent stop...inquisitive, curious, before running back into thick brush.

The Canadian goose protecting her young...standing her ground, flapping her wings as we made our way clear to give her space...

The young porcupine waddling up from the ditch to stop and turn to give us the eye...

The cow and calf running alongside the road before angling down and up to disappear in the greenery and brown/black of fire riddled forest.

We are blessed...no matter the sorrow, the grief...it flies in the face of such wonder...the smallness of man becomes clear...the cowardice of a man who would rather hide his sins, do his dirty deeds in the dark...placed in a box labelled 'unworthy' and stored on a dusty shelf to slowly crumble and fade.

I am surrounded by true men...true kindness and goodness, showcasing the ridiculousness of those who would rather harm than love...who would rather live as cowards and abusers than self-reflect or apologize for atrocities committed, leading to self-awareness and change.

I am loved, accepted and cherished...

We...we are loved, accepted and cherished by those who truly know our hearts, our minds...who gladly impart kindness and grace with each breath...

On these things we ponder...leaving behind the evil projections of small minded, shrivelled up spiritual monsters seeking our demise.

Let us leave these things in the dust and dirt where they belong my friends. Let us move and have our being with knowledge, with understanding, with love.

Love saves....