“I have never seen God come through the front door. The Divine operates in paradox. What looks to have no power, generally has it all. What looks to have power, generally has none.” Spoken by the medical intuitive and author, Caroline Myss, these words remind me to be open to inspiration that can come in surprising ways.
I have met people who have had a profound effect on me in the simplest and most unassuming places. When I attended a sweat lodge in New Mexico with my daughter, I was excited to meet the Apache man who was touted as a charismatic leader in the community. People traveled from great distances to attend his lodges. I had no idea what to expect; I was just open for a new experience.
While in the sweat lodge, boiling and gasping for air (I’m being a little dramatic here), I listened to this leader talk in an irreverent and inconsiderate manner. I kept listening for ancient wisdom, but all I heard was self-indulgence. After about 20 minutes, I had had enough of the heat and of him. I crawled out of the lodge and sat by the fire with the volunteer who stoked the coals and prepared them to be presented into the lodge. In talking with this man, I recognized the humility and grace that I had been looking for. He had never been inside the lodge because he felt that his purpose would have been to satisfy his own curiosity, rather than to benefit the group inside. So, for years he cherished his contribution outside the lodge to the sanctity of the lodgers’ experience. Years later, I still remember his kind and peaceful heart, and the powerful lesson that I learned being in his presence.
