It’s Your Turn

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

For the past few months, I’ve been revising blog posts for my third book. I’ve hunkered down to do the grunt work of publishing: formatting, footnoting, acquiring permission from a photographer and poets, and designing the cover. I used to dream of being on Oprah’s reading list, selling millions of copies of my books, and letting others do this tedious work. Alas, I remain an everyday pilgrim.

As I returned to the posts from 2015-16 contained in this book, I heard how often I was dogged by self-criticism and fear of rejection. Recently, friends who read my blog told me that I’ve changed. I’m much kinder to myself now. This caused some unease as I got reacquainted with the person that I was back then. I winced at how often she felt the weight of her faults, mistakes, and sin. Yet in every post, I read how she was tenderly invited back into the heart of the Beloved. I believe it was God meeting me in my shame that has enabled me now to live less disabled by it. I can join God in finding the part of me that feels disconnected and bring her back into wholeness. So I hold that old me with a deep gratitude and am pleased to honour her.

Here’s what I wrote for the back cover.

Are you hounded by self-criticism? Ever feel like you don’t measure up, don’t belong, or don’t like how you look? Do you wonder if you’re enough or do enough? You are not alone.

 In the Heart of the Beloved is full of “me, too” stories. Once again Esther, the Everyday Pilgrim, bravely opens to her fears, dreams, and insecurities and finds herself in the heart of the Beloved. As we follow her there, we, too, open to God restoring our souls, walking with us through dark valleys, and returning us home to dwell in God’s love forever.

In the Heart of the Beloved is getting closer to being released. But one thing is missing.

Below is a draft of the book’s cover. I fell in love with Sylvia Sassen’s photograph of this vibrant pink tulip some time ago and was delighted when she gave me permission to use it for my blog and book. See that space in the middle of the back cover? Often it’s reserved for famous people to say something positive about the author’s writing. But it seems appropriate to me that a book by an everyday pilgrim should be endorsed by other everyday pilgrims–aka you.

Would you consider sending me a sentence about how my writing has impacted you? I would like to print it on the back or inside the book.

Please send your words to me at aneverydaypilgrim@gmail.com or include them in the comment section below. I look forward to reading what you have to say.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the heart of the Beloved forever.
Amen.
—Psalm 23:6  translated by Nan C. Merrill
Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness

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Love Mischief for the World

I am grateful for the love mischief of photographer Sylvia Sassen and poet Nan Merrill (1931-2010). “I truly believe we stand on the brink of either a great darkness beyond imagining or, if humanity can awaken to our environmental, societal, institutional challenges, we can create a global garden where lasting peace, true justice, integrity, cooperation, freedom, and respect for all peoples and all of creation will reign,” Merrill said in 2002. “I believe that as individuals offer their ‘grain of sand’ gifts, a tide of growing goodwill and service will wash over the earth—a groundswell of renewed life for everyone. A naive dream, some may say, yet dreams come to fruition one step at a time. This is what motivates me to offer my life toward that dream; this is why I shall continue to write, honouring my gift as an offering as my heart dictates.”

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Drops” by Sylvia Sassen. Used with permission.
Images of In the Heart of the Beloved book cover by Esther Hizsa. used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in In the Heart of the Beloved, Reflections, Stories, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Five Hundred

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

five hundred posts
over almost nine years

one hundred and three months of
listening and feeling 
naming and holding
what I experience on my pilgrimage of life

weekly episodes of reality TV
honouring what is and what isn’t
sharing our common humanity
and the love mischief of God

five hundred posts and I’m not there yet
five hundred more and I still won’t be 
this is not a blog for those who just want to get “there”
it’s a blog for those who want to arrive
here

and be welcomed 
home

thanks for journeying with me

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
–Psalm 84:5 (NIV)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

Did blogs exist back in 2004 when this picture was taken in Banff National Park? Cirque Peak was quite a hike. Fred was recovering from years of kidney dialysis post-transplant. I was grateful to be able to do the hike even if we did have to stop often and rest. I was grateful for my husband, my companion who would eventually become my weekly proofreader. The first gift he ever gave me was a pack of bubble gum which we couldn’t get in Bella Bella where we met and a copy of The Writer’s Market. Our forty-three years of love mischief with God has included many adventures including this one. I’m not so fond of bubble gum anymore. But I sure am fond of him. Thanks, Fred.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Image of fireworks by Max Pixel. Creative Commons.
Photo of Gracie and me on the Lion’s Gate Bridge taken by a kind cyclist from Coquitlam, August 2021.
“Strolling with My Honey Up Cirque Peak, Banff National Park” by Fred Hizsa, August 2004. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Poetry, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Holding My Tender Heart

Posted on February 11, 2022 by Esther Hizsa


I’ve been afraid of rejection
my whole life.

Then I got rejected
twice
in one day.

My head told me
not to take it personally.
It doesn’t reflect badly
on them or me.
It’s for the best.

I continued on,
but when I looked back
my heart hadn’t moved.
She was still sitting at the corner
with a shocked look on her face,
feeling ashamed,
doubting her goodness.

“Oh, tender heart.”
I knelt down to wipe a tear from her cheek,
“I know,
I know this is hard.”

She’d wrapped her arms tightly
around her knees
as if she could protect herself
from what had already happened.

“I thought I belonged everywhere,”
she said. “That’s what you said God said.
But I don’t.
I don’t belong
there.”

“No. Not there.
They don’t want you there.
It’s true,” I said to my heart.

I stroked her back
and tucked her stray hair behind her ear.
“But you belong here,” I said.
“You belong to me.”

I picked her up and carried her
with shame, doubt and disappointment
tightly clutched in her hand.

Then, in the rocking rhythm of my body,
after a while
I felt her
soften
and heard her
sigh
as the hurt
slipped
from her tiny
fingers.


God tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart.
–Isaiah 40:11

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

Coincidence? A friend sent me the Centre for Action and Contemplation‘s statement of belonging and anouther friend read it out at a meeting that same week. What would it be like for our communities of faith to be brave enough to create a litany of belonging, speak it out, and live by it? We are as beautifully diverse as these wild flowers. We all long to know that, in our differences, we are loved and accepted. That knowing needs to come from within ourselves, where we are one with God. We’re constantly on shaky ground if we rely on others for a sense of belonging. That said, how good it is when what we hear from God inside is echoed outside. May we be good echoers of God.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (November 30, 1825 – August 19, 1905) photo by Thomas Hawke.
Used with permission.
Moonbeams by Jessie Wilcox Smith (September 6, 1863 – May 3, 1935)
“Wild Flower Garden III” by Lex McKee. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Wild and Precious Life

Posted on February 4, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism gave me the courage to schedule more time for writing. My third book won’t get published if I keep trying to fit it in around everything else.

“Everything else” includes my non-negotiables–spending time with family and friends, meditating and getting outside, preparing food and tidying up, reading, listening to podcasts and relaxing. It includes life-giving work–offering spiritual direction, preparing and co-facilitating contemplative experiences, and volunteer activities. It also includes meetings, sending and responding to emails and deciding moment by moment what I will say yes to and what I will say no to. 

“Only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter,” writes McKeown.  As much as I want to believe I can fit it all in,  I can’t. Something loses out. Most often it’s my writing.

Two conflicting beliefs arose as I began making writing a priority: the belief that we all have a unique gift to offer the world and the belief that every moment is sacred–whether we are washing the dishes or creating a masterpiece. These represent two different postures: focused, forward movement and receptive rest.

Finding our purpose and living it out led Jesus to leave his quiet life as a carpenter and become an itinerant teacher, healer and Saviour. Sue Monk Kidd, in The Book of Longings invites us to live out of  “our largeness.”  Poet Mary Oliver asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Marie Forleo, author of Everything is Figureoutable says, “There has never been and never will be another you. You have a purpose–a very special gift that only you can bring to the world.”

I believe this is true, and it’s also true that our purpose isn’t our identity. I need to know who I am when I’m not writing. That’s the gift of the present moment. Each moment we can come home to ourselves, to who we are, an identity that is not achieved or dependent on what we do. Writing is a way I live out my purpose not who I am. I am a cherished child of God, loved and lovable, whole and complete, whether I write or whether I don’t..

However, if every moment is holy, and I am not what I do, I can easily assume that what I choose to do doesn’t matter. But it does. My discernment experience told me that while God is in everything and every moment, there are still choices to be made in how I spend that moment. 

It’s easy to see we need to make healthy, kind, and loving choices. But there are a lot of things we can do that are healthy, loving and kind, and we can’t do them all. In my recent discernment, God invited me to choose what is most aligned with who I am and what makes me most alive right now–even though it meant not going to Bible study, even though it meant disappointing others. Instead of going to Bible study, I’m offering a short series of weekly gatherings for my church on Zoom to reflect on four podcasts about compassion. 

As I open to the tension between these two postures of focused movement and receptive rest, I can appreciate both as necessary. I feel joy when I’m doing what I love and peace when I don’t have to do anything at all but breathe in the wonder of the moment. 

Joy is peace dancing. Peace is joy at rest.
― Frederick Brotherton Meyer

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Love Mischief for the World

“Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It doesn’t mean just doing less for the sake of less either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.”–Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Walking in leaves” photo from Pixabay in Creative Commons.
“‘Just right!’ she sighed.” by Steve Corey. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Mindfulness, Reflections, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Taking Time to Discern

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I heard it again as I signed onto Zoom. A heaviness in my chest said, I don’t want to do this.

The leader of the Bible study greeted me as names appeared in squares, then faces. I felt a deep affection bubble up for each one there. That’s why you’re here, I reminded myself.

Yet, as time went on, I noticed my disinterest in the reading, how often I looked at the clock, and how relieved I felt when we finished.

Last week, in preparation for our annual Vestry meeting, our priest sent out a reflective guide* to help parishioners discern whether to continue on in their various commitments.

I considered the questions prayerfully and thought about the Bible study. I remembered feeling this way a year ago. I thought about why I felt I needed to be there and what it would be like to trust God to meet that need. As I sat with the thought of leaving the group, I felt sad. I would miss my weekly connection with people who’d adopted me when Fred and I first came to this church seven years ago. 

A few days later, I told our priest I was thinking of leaving the Bible study. 

“Sounds like it isn’t working for you anymore,” she said.

While I was writing this post, I looked back to what I wrote when I was in this place a year ago. I’d wondered what it would be like to keep going to the group and allow my unsettled feelings to be there. I assumed that if I were less afraid of those feelings, I’d be freed to stay and enjoy the group. Now a year later, I am less afraid of those feelings, and I am free to go.

During my check-in at Bible study the next week, I told the group what I’d discerned.

They were sad and told me they’d miss me too, but no one tried to talk me out of it. They respected my decision. 

I’m so grateful for the clear, persistent voice in me that knew I was not where I needed to be. I really wanted Bible study to work for me, and I kept hoping I would change to make that happen. Instead, God was inviting me to accept my limitations as a gift that frees me go where I can thrive.

Essentialism: only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all,
to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution
towards the things that really matter.
― Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

* * *

Love Mischief for the World

I was saddened to hear that “Thich Nhat Hanh, the revered Zen Buddhist monk who helped spread the practice of mindfulness in the West and socially engaged Buddhism in the East, has died. He was 95″ (ABC News). I have prayed many times with this guided meditation above. Thich Nhat Hanh once said, “Your body is your first home. Breathing in, I arrive in my body. Breathing out, I am home.” This has encouraged me as I learn to live mindfully. You may enjoy these quotes and this interview with Oprah.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

*A Short Guide for Discerning Volunteer Roles

Discerning is a word we use to suggest a more thoughtful and reflective process of making a decision. When we discern we make more room for the Holy Spirit to weigh in.

Give yourself some time and space– at least 10 or 15 minutes–when you can be reflective without too many distractions.

Some questions you might ask yourself about whether to continue in a ministry or regular activity:

  • As you look back over your year in this role what was life-giving? What did you enjoy? What did you find challenging?
  • Step into the belief that God cares very much for you and for your world and is actively working in this regard. Step into the belief that we are invited to serve from a place of freedom and not obligation. Imagine yourself with the choice of continuing for another year in one hand and not continuing in the other. Both are equally good choices. Let any judgments, “shoulds” or fear of guilt fall away. What feelings arise? Does one hand feel heavier than the other?
  • Imagine Jesus standing before you smiling lovingly at you and looking at one hand and then the other and then back to you. He asks you, “What would you like to do?”
  • Choose one option as if you’ve made the decision. For the next day or two walk around with your choice. Do you feel more or less peace? What thoughts add to your peace or diminish it? Do fears arise? Perhaps you’d like to share those fears with Jesus or talk it over with a spiritual director, mentor or friend.

Credits and References:
“Which Way to Artlegarth?” by Mike Beales. Used with permission.
“Hearts Desire” by Ted Rheingold. Used with permission.
Short Guide to Discerning Volunteer Roles by Esther Hizsa.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Mindfulness, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Journey of an Everyday Pilgrim

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

As I was preparing last week’s post, I felt nervous. I loved the concept of becoming more aware of God’s felt presence in my body, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to maintain the practice. What if this becomes just another New Year’s resolution that I’ve forgotten about but you, my reader, haven’t? I’d feel accountable to keep it up. I don’t want to be driven by a fear of looking bad or letting you down. A part of me wished I’d written about something else, but there wasn’t anything else I wanted to write about.

Friday morning, I packed my laptop and the clothes and food I’d need for a three-day retreat on Bowen Island. I kissed Fred goodbye and headed to the Skytrain. A few hours later, I was drinking coffee and looking out the window at ocean, trees and the Vancouver shoreline. 

In the quiet, the discomfort about my blog post returned. As I read it over, I was aware once again of how “out there” my post might be to some readers. Was I inferring something from The Cloud of Unknowing that wasn’t there? Would the author agree that God is in our bodies? 

And then there it was at the end of the quote: “…God, whose being fills and transcends the entire creation.”

There it was: the belief that God fills everything God creates including you and me. 

As I revised my post, I felt like God was right beside me, and smiling and saying, “I wouldn’t leave you alone to pitch a big idea like this by yourself.” 

When the post was published, I felt less afraid I’d written something I’d later regret. But what if I did? Would that be so bad for you to see me change my mind or fail to follow through on my intentions? Would it be so bad for you to see that I’m human?

I’ve been writing weekly blog posts for eight and a half years. My vision is clear: to write honestly and vulnerably about what I’m experiencing right now in my life with God. In a way, it’s a weekly Examen. What was a consolation or a desolation? Where did I find God? Where do I need to return to and meet God there? What do I notice coming back to my mind and heart?

Sometimes a story or poem flows out easily. Other times, I struggle to articulate what’s newly forming. Then there are times that I know what I need to write, but it might not put me or someone else in a good light. Somehow, as I open to God and what I’m noticing, the words I come. I’m accepted and embraced in that moment and the next. This is the journey of the everyday pilgrim. 

God gives only the present, moment by moment.
–The Cloud of Unknowing

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Love Mischief for the World

Many people find it difficult to practice the daily Examen regularly. We can get discouraged when we look back, and life provides proof that we didn’t measure up or we failed again. The Examen isn’t meant to guilt or shame us into changing our behaviour. Instead, Ignatius wanted us to receive God’s love in all of life–in what went well and what didn’t. He wanted us to experience God with us–savouring joyful moments with us and offering us compassion when life was hard. I like to pray the Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ. You can find his guided meditations on Spotify,  Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

What love mischief are you and God doing the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Camino de Santiago” by Marcin Bajer (featured/banner image). Used with permission. 
Both quotes from The Cloud of Unknowing edited by William Johnston,1973, p.50.
Photos in blog post of the North Shore mountains from the causeway near Snug Cove, Bowen Island and a trail on Bowen by Esther Hizsa. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in compassion, Mindfulness, Reflections, Stories, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Being Restored by Grace

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

I enjoyed a nice break over Christmas and New Year’s. When a heavy snowfall slowed the world down even more, I noticed what it feels like in my body to relax, knowing nothing urgent needs my attention. Now that I’ve resumed my work, I can recall that felt experience of spaciousness when I’m tempted to rush or feel the impulse to schedule one more thing into my day.

What I experienced deepened my understanding of this quote from The Cloud of Unknowing written by an unknown author in the fourteenth century.

If you were now restored by grace to the integrity man possessed before sin, you would be complete master of these impulses. None would ever go astray, but would fly to the one sole good, the goal of all desire, God himself… It is God , and he alone, who can fully satisfy the hunger and longing of our spirit which, transformed by his redeeming grace, is enabled to embrace him by love… Truly this is the unending miracle of love: that one loving person, through his love, can embrace God, whose being fills and transcends the entire creation. 

Here’s what I heard this time.

The “integrity [wholeness or completeness] man possessed before sin” is not just a time long ago that I can never return to. It’s here and now in the core of my being, that place of unity with God untouched by trauma. When I return there in meditation, I live more fully out of that place throughout the day. I’m more able to be “the master of my impulses.” I find more freedom to choose what’s loving and life-giving for me and for the world.

When I first read about the unending miracle of love and imagined myself embracing God, I was moved to tears and still am. That’s what drew me to centering prayer which is what The Cloud of Unknowing is all about. In the meantime, I’ve also been learning how important it is to be present in my body. But when I tried to incorporate more body awareness into my meditation practice, it felt mechanical, like I was leaving God out of my prayer.

But now it’s all coming together. As I pay attention to my breath and sink into my body, I sink down into that place “before sin” in the core of my being. That place of union with God is not abstractly out there somewhere. It’s in my body. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. I can visualize and feel the sensation of myself flowing down into and occupying my toes, feet, legs, belly and on up to the top of my head. Feeling myself there, God, “whose being fills and transcends the entire creation,”including my body, is in my embrace, and I am in God’s. 

God’s embodied presence is where I’m invited to return to throughout my day. When I realize I’m somewhere else, I can pause and sink down into the felt reality that God is in me and I am in God. My mind gets there instantly. My heart and body take a little longer to arrive. But once there, grace restores me to the integrity or truth of my wholeness. Reconnected to My True Self, I’m not so easily led astray by impulses or fear.

That’s the theory, anyway, and what I’m testing out these days. To that end, I’m being faithful to a daily practice of meditation and yoga and have set an intention to observe what’s going on inside me during the day.

So far, I’ve noticed more peace and calm. I’ve also noticed worry and reactivity. I noticed the impulses that arise. Sometimes, I paused and returned to my body. Other times, I impulsively reacted and said or did things I regretted. That was disappointing.

But I realized I could pause there too and remember that I’m human. I offered myself compassion and forgiveness. Messing up reminds me that I’m being restored to live more out of my True Self, not out of a perfect self. That non-existent “perfect self” is who I think I need to be to be loved or feel good about myself. My True Self knows I’m loved just the way I am.

So I offer myself patience. Restoration is a process, a life-long journey with an opportunity to arrive in each moment.

I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age.
–Matthew 28:20 (Voice)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

“If you or someone you know is in need of fresh produce, dairy, and more, we invite you to visit our Community Fridge! We have a fridge and pantry in our Community Room that is stocked daily with fresh foods that are available for free access. Come by to pick up some food or for a chat and some coffee! This is a welcoming space for all,” says Cariboo Road Christian Fellowship in Burnaby. What a gift! They are located at 7200 Cariboo Road, Burnaby. Hours of Operation: Tuesdays 12-4pm, Thursdays 4-8pm and Sundays 7-9pm Recommended Bus Routes: 101 Bus from Lougheed Station or 22nd Street Station (get off at 7200 Cariboo Rd).

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Falling Snow” by Dawn Perry. Used with permission.
The Cloud of Unknowing edited by William Johnston,1973, p.50.
“Black-Capped Chickadee” by Ron Bulovs. Used with permission.
Photo of poster from Cariboo Road Christian Fellowship by Gloarina Di Giovann,. Used with permission.

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in compassion, Mindfulness, Mystical, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Love You. I’m Listening.

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

We cannot live our lives constantly looking back, listening back, lest we be turned to pillars of longing and regret, but to live without listening at all is to live deaf to the fullness of the music…. Listen for him. Listen to the sweet and bitter airs of your present and your past for the sound of him. —Frederick Buechner, The Sacred Journey

Whether we’re looking back on the last year or the last evening, pausing to reflect can evoke a fair bit of anxiety.

The first part is easy and generally involves savouring the gifts received–-that intimate conversation, that moment of recognition, that person who arrived in the nick of time. We may remember the tastes, smells, sights, and sounds of the earth’s beauty. We may give thanks for our home, our relationships, new freedoms and the boundless, present, unceasing love of God.

The next part can be challenging, so let’s do it together.

What didn’t go so well? How were we hurt? Where are we still stuck? Perhaps, like me, you’re thinking. “I wish I wouldn’t have… “

I remember a recent conversation with a friend and notice how judgment is the first to show up, activating defensive strategies. I blame them or myself. I become the victim. I feel discouraged, defeated and ashamed. Then I fall into a loop of judgment and shame for a long time, ruminating on what they did wrong or how my response wasn’t helpful. I stay in reactivity until something I read or a podcast I listened to reminds me that I’m human. This is what it means to be human. We react to painful experiences. But we don’t need to stay there. We can open to God’s loving kindness. That’s where growth happens.

Pausing to notice my reactivity (often in the form of anger, judgment or shame), allows me to offer myself compassion. “That’s so hard,” I hear God say. “That hurt,” I say to myself. These words are a healing balm to my soul and invite gentle inquiry. With God, I ask myself, “Where does it hurt? What were you hoping for? What did you lose?”

“I love you. I’m listening,” I say to myself.

I notice a hint of tears at the back of my eyes. Such loving compassion allows me to feel accepted and able to ask God for what I need instead of cowering under reprimands from my internal critic.

I’m learning to pause here and say hello to the part of us that’s so critical. I ask myself, What would it be like to thank her for trying to protect me from disappointment or harm? I look her in the eyes and gently say, “I love you. I’m listening.”

She tells me she’s afraid that if I don’t overcome this, people will think I’m a fake. The critic doesn’t want any evidence that proves my fears about myself could be true.

“I hear you,” I say to her and let her imagine with me what it would be like to let go of those fears. My shoulders soften, and my arms rest more fully on my thighs. I let out a long, slow breath.

I feel a shift from reactivity to presence. I revisit the hurtful conversation again with compassion and curiosity. If judgment, guilt or shame creep in, I gently ask them to take a seat and turn my attention back to the scene with an open, loving heart. I name what is, welcome my friend and myself just as we are. I feel the sadness that we weren’t our best selves. I notice where it hurts and what thoughts arise. My True Self, the me that lives in God unaffected by trauma, asks the hurting part of me what she needs to return home.

“I love you. I’m listening,” I say to her and wait.

This hurting part of me needs reassurance that transformation is happening and to be reminded that I’m already home. I place my hand on my heart, and welcome the voice of Love, my voice intertwined with God’s, incarnate in all things, the ancient Word that has no beginning and no end.

Love says, “I created you and you are mine, and all I created I love and care for, nurture and make whole. I know who you are and I’m sharing what I know with you so you can see your beauty and feel the delight I feel when you come near.”

Feeling so loved, so accepted, I turn toward my friend. With my imagination, I listen and watch as Love holds her. The scene is so intimate. Tears are shed with heaving and wails, and God enfolds her in a loving embrace, stroking her head looking into her eyes.

This becomes my prayer for my friend. May she know how deeply she is loved, and may love release her from reactivity to openness, from shame and judgment to compassion and receptivity, from guilt to forgiveness.

I pray that for myself.

And for you.

I love you. I am listening.
When is the last time you closed your eyes and said these words to yourself?
When was the last time you took the time to give to yourself
what you endeavour to give others?
–Sarah Blondin, Loving and Listening to Yourself Meditation 

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

I give thanks for the life of Desmond Tutu who was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He passed away on December 26 at the age of 90. In this above video clip, Desmond Tutu talks about forgiveness. You may also enjoy this interview with Krista Tippet. Tutu once said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” What little bit of good are you invited to do today?

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
This post was inspired and shaped by a number of teachers: Sarah Bondin, Tara Brach, Richard Rohr, and Julian of Norwich.
“Contemplating” by Courtney Carmody. Used with permission. 
“Best Friends” by Thomas Leuthard Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
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As You Step into the New Year

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

As 2021 comes to a close, I’m becoming more aware of what I’m leaving behind and what I want to take with me into the New Year. This year we’ve all had significant losses of one kind or another. We’ve also been enlightened as we learn more about ourselves and others and have welcomed some new freedoms.

Here are the questions I’ve been contemplating and some suggestions of how you might like to be with these questions. Allow yourself to linger with the questions or thoughts that draw you and let go of the rest.

What are you leaving behind as you enter the new year?

  • What did you begin this year with that you don’t have anymore? Perhaps you lost a loved one, a relationship, a job, a possession, a state of health, a freedom now restricted by the pandemic, climate change or the decisions of others. What do you need to say goodbye to? How would you like to do that?  Light a candle, walk a labyrinth, write a prayer, sing a song loudly while vacuuming, watch the clouds or spend a few moments in silence? What sounds inviting to  you?
  • What happened this year that still makes you angry, ashamed or upset?  Pause here and be gentle with yourself. Where does it hurt? What does that part of yourself need to hear, know or feel? What might Love offer you now to comfort or ease you? Imagine Christ with you sharing the weight of this. Does anything slip away?
  • What old belief did you discover this year that isn’t true? Perhaps you suddenly knew you were not responsible for someone else’s life or realized you can ask for what you need. Perhaps you discovered more about what it’s like to be a person of colour, transgender, neurodivergent, or indigenous. Perhaps past trauma led you to believe that that there was something wrong with you and now you know: it isn’t true.
  • What practice has grown stale? What do you notice you keep forgetting to do or have to push yourself to make happen? Take a moment to notice what you feel when you think about that practice without analyzing judging or fixing those feelings. As you listen to what’s arising in you, what do you need? What did that practice offer you, and what do you notice when you name that?
  • What habit doesn’t serve you? Have you noticed something that you used to do that you no longer find helpful or satisfying?
  • As you look back over the year, when did you fall under the spell that you are alone? When did you feel misunderstood, separate or excluded? When did you suspect that you are not enough or not lovable? Recall what that felt like. Where did it take you? What did it cost you? How did you get back?

What are you taking with you?

  • What new relationship, situation, work, or adventure are you welcoming into your life? What was birthed in you in Advent and Christmas that is now living and breathing in you?
  • What happened this year that made you smile or evoked gratitude? Linger there with Jesus. What made that experience so meaningful to you? What did you hear, know, or feel that you would like to remember and live into?
  • What belief sparkles for you? What have you discovered to be true and life-giving? Perhaps it is Jesus’ words, “I am with you always.” Perhaps it’s Valarie Kaur‘s, “You are a part of me I do not yet know.” What goes on for you when you say “I’m enough” or “I belong” or “I am just what the world needs”?
  • What new practice are you motivated to explore? Perhaps you’d like to try Tara Brach’s RAIN of self-compassion, centering prayer, or praying Compline. Maybe you’re drawn to eating more slowly and mindfully, trying out Yoga with Adriene, chair yoga or short daily walks. What would it be like to make a regular practice of simply noticing a negative thought and then pausing?
  • What new habit do you want to adopt that takes less than two minutes a day?  Drink a glass of water. Take a few deep breaths. What if you simply noticed when you’ve said something unkind to yourself and apologize?  Perhaps after you’ve learned why its important to use the pronouns others prefer, you set an intention to use them. You could name what you’re grateful for. Be kind to the earth and your body by having one less serving of dairy or meat or one more serving of greens.
  • How might you live more fully into your oneness with God and all living things? Perhaps you’d like to say a prayer or touch a tree. Take a risk and affirm someone by letting them know how who they are makes your life better. Notice when you feel separate and invite yourself to come home to your soul. Pray word or breath prayers for another, yourself and the earth. Write a reminder of your unity with all on a post-it note and stick it on your bathroom mirror. What would you write?

 Behold, I make all things new.
–Revelation 21:5 (NKJV)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

“Are you cooking a turkey?” I was asked more than once this Christmas. I reminded the askers that I’m a vegan, and then they ask me what we will have instead. I love this question. Here’s what Fred and I and our daughter and her family had for Christmas dinner. We started with a fancy drink and a veggie tray with my homemade roasted red pepper hummus, crackers, and a cheese ball that Heidi made. Next came Fred’s mango, shredded carrot and vermicelli spring rolls with peanut sauce. We opened a bottle of red wine (Sprite for our grandson) which accompanied savoury pastries that Heidi filled with minced mushrooms, walnuts, Kalamata olives, and herbs (inspired by Shirley Delicious.) Our next course was veggie dog piggies in a blanket, then Buffalo Cauliflower Wings with Ranch dressing made by yours truly. The last savoury appetizer was Beyond Meatballs in sweet and sour sauce. In between courses, we opened presents and played Sequence. Then dessert: decaf coffee with vegan cannoli specially made by Thyme and Rosemary, mandarins, scones topped with raspberry jam and coconut whipped cream, and vegan white and dark chocolate. With our tummies full of good food and hearts full of love, Fred and I walked home on snowy sidewalks, grateful we hadn’t taken the car.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Walk away”  Michał Koralewski. Used with permission.
“Snow Angel” by Rachael Moore. Used with permission.
“Buffalo Wings – J. Selby’s Plant-Based Eatery, Saint Paul” by Tony Webster. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2021.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2021.  http://www.estherhizsa.com

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Christmas: As Is

Posted on December 24, 2021 by Esther Hizsa

The Nativity 1890 1910 by Franz Mayer&Co (detail) by Plum Leaves

I wonder if Joseph was peeved
when Mary, between contractions,
ordered him to close the door
then,
as soon as he did,
wanted it open again.

I wonder if,
in that chorus of angels,
one or two sang flat
and if some shepherds,
feeling and smelling sheepish,
were hesitant to go.

I wonder if
–after Mary gave birth to the Christ child
on scratchy straw
next to dog’s breath and cat fleas–
it didn’t still hurt like the dickens.

And I wonder if
the star was that bright
or the kings so sure.

But I don’t wonder
if God was troubled
that it wasn’t
quite
perfect.

And I don’t doubt
that God
is moved to tears
by our willingness
to be in the story.

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

The greatest love mischief of all is being celebrated this day around the world.
Come, let us adore him!

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“The Nativity” 1890-1910 by Franz Mayer & Co (detail) photo by Plum leaves. Used with permission.
Poem “Christmas: As Is” by Esther Hizsa, 2015, last stanza added 2021
“Decorations 1” by Neil Merton Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2021.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2021.  http://www.estherhizsa.com

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