the imagery of acceptance and inner peace |

she woke from the most peaceful sleep. she lay in such a calm euphoric state. she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face which reminded her of how warm and secure her heart felt.

she had questions about this place and how she had come to live here. for the moment she would not focus on them. she was seizing the moment. she was in paradise and every part of her being soared with happiness.

Eden was magnificent and majestic. everywhere her eyes gazed there was beauty. being surrounded by such beauty satisfied something deep in her heart. at times, she felt as though she could breathe in the deep satisfaction as if it were life to her soul. it was soothing, gratifying.

her tummy rumbled drawing her attention to the reality that there were things to do. first, food. her body signalled the need for nourishment.

she opened her eyes and realized her husband was already away. his day had already begun. she wondered where he might be. the most probable answer would be that he was exploring. he was in charge of finding new creatures among the garden and deciding what they would be called. she and her husband were different somehow than everything else that lived in this place. the creatures that shared her home fascinated her.

as she strolled through the garden, a butterfly lit on her shoulder. “good morning, butterfly. it’s a glorious morning!”

it fluttered its wings in delight. she instinctively knew it was as delighted as she.

suddenly a bumble bee whizzed past her head. “that’s exactly what i’ll eat…honey,” she thought. her steps hastened toward the grove of trees where she could collect the sweet nectar.

she dipped her finger into the honeycomb and drew the liquid to her lips. the sensation thrilled her tongue. the bees parted as if to make way for her to enjoy their produce, all the while continuing their busy production. “nice job, guys! the honey is beautiful and sweet.” they gathered in formation and swarmed into the air. they swirled and twirled in appreciation of her praise. she giggled at the performance and chided, “i’ll get out of your way so you can get back to work”. they dropped back onto the honeycomb and resumed their task.

everything was in harmony. one thing assisting the next. her questions resurfaced. “what was this place and how did i get here?” she was curious.

she would ask her husband and the Creator to tell her the story again as they strolled the garden when sun began to sink in the sky.

she turned with a plan to find Adam. she smiled.

her heart was full of gratitude and appreciation. she would explain this to the Creator…He might enjoy hearing what her heart was feeling.

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i can only imagine what filled her heart. i do know that my heart is filled with gratitude on the calm, peace filled days when my heart attains the same joy. the place of harmony within my being. i cherish those days when they come and my heart is filled with gratitude.

although in my story i took a creative privilege to imagine her life, i know that it is not an unattainable fairy tale. i know that when i have been diligent to face the negative situations with courage and Wisdom, my heart can attain this state of peace and well-being. it is not “never-land”. i am accepted and loved by my Creator. i can accept the person i am meant to be – flaws and all – and live enriched in my journey. i understand the places that help me grow are sometimes difficult to face. life is not a paradise (as we all know) but it is worth living fully and joyfully, come what may.

acceptance is important to me. it feels like i have described it above. the foundation for my acceptance exists in a harmony of hearts – mine joined with my Creator and then outstretched.

not all days are like this. i know all to well. you will, too. Eve experienced. join me as i explore the steps she may have taken and decisions she made that brought pain to her heart. i suspect, they are not much different than ours. curiosity, jealousy, desire, comparison and doubt are a common theme for heading down a painful road. it feels like we walk alone, at times, but the road is not all that different to the one before us. the pain is familiar, too – rejection, loss, disappointment, shame and regret.

the pain is not the end. there is healing and acceptance waiting…