Day Five

8.6.10 Barstow CA

We have almost made it, what joy when we crossed into California, but then we still needed to cross her dessert. I guess we traveled eleven hours yesterday, mostly land that has not been inhabited. I wonder as we drive, has a human being walked on every square inch of this land. For miles and miles it looks like land that has not been walked on, merely seen or owned by someone that does not really know it.

We are listening to Anne Lamott's new book Imperfect Birds. One of the characters says to the other character that she wants to return to the place where they have just done a sweat lodge. She says, “ I want to go back to the river to the sacred ground. The other character replies, “ Oh honey, it is all sacred ground. Sacred ground is where you are.” I wonder about the land that stretches all around us as we travel down I40. Is this all sacred ground. Does it become sacred when someone comes to acknowledge it, to walk on it and to love it? I have felt the sacredness of Heartwood come more fully into light as all those that came there developed their own love and blessing for the place. Their love was left like a business card left in glass jar to win a free lunch. It was there in some way for all to see and feel after they had left the space. The sacredness of the land seems to become alive as we as humans interact with it, love it and honor it.

But now I am hearing that this is a very egocentric way to see the land. Other beings can love and honor the land and still create a glowing relationship with it. No human ever needs to have walked that square inch of it for it to be sacred and valid.

The Imperfect Birds book fills our minds as we travel the hours of roads. The thermometer says that it is 114 degrees when we stop to get dinner in Needles, CA. One of the major themes is a quote by Rumi where he states that all we can really do with each other is invite the imperfect birds of our souls into the nests of our hearts. There are many images where the main characters struggle with their need to be in the nest of another's heart, to feel comforted by this deep physical and spiritual gesture.

I see how I have not had that same need, but rather my deep desire has been to know the inner ridges of the other's spiritual world. I have seen that I have tried in my own way to show my inner world. I have not so much felt that it should be transparent or so open or naked, but rather a space that is open. This might seem like an open door into a room of my heart soul. I invite you in. I try to make you comfortable. I say I will continue to unlock the doors to this space. I know that I can trust you. As I share I invite you to see how this feels to you. I invite you to share with me as you begin to feel that you can trust me also. We will begin a slow opening of chambers of exposure to our inner love with the Divine. We will create our own nests within each others hearts.