Thirsty for Truth
Image: Elf Woman in a Magical Forest by NejroNIn many ways, spiritual truths are a lot like spring rains. When the rain falls upon the upturned face of a flower she has no choice but to acknowledge its presence – but only when that rain gets at her roots, only after it seeps down past the grass and the rocks, making its way through the mud and clay, does it help the flower grow.
Like that flower, our roots are covered too; they are buried beneath all the things that we cling to as a part of our identity. Every definition that we give to ourselves, each judgement that we make about the world, and all of our beliefs and assumptions that we rigidly hold are piled atop our souls – and before any truth can seep down in there where it can nurture future growth, we have to be willing to dig through these layers and clear away the debris.
Even when the rains of spring fall equally upon the entire garden, each flower will grow at her own pace and will bloom in her own unique way. This is because how she grows and when she blooms depends as much on the receptivity of her roots as it does on the frequency of the rain. It could rain all day, but if the layers are too thick for the water to penetrate, she will remain thirsty. So also our own growth depends as much on our openness to truth and our ability to let it get deep down into the heart of our identity as it does on how many truths we listen to and understand.
When we are defensive about who and what we are, the truth may make sense but it will be of little effect – the rain may fall upon our face but will have difficulty watering our roots. As it has to make its way through these thick layers of defensiveness, it gathers impurities that make it potentially as detrimental as it would have been beneficial. The more that we are willing to peel that defensiveness away – the more beliefs we are willing to challenge, the more assumptions we can push aside, and the more fears and expectations we can break apart – the easier it becomes for the truth to seep down into our soul; and the purer that truth will remain as it makes its way through.
In this season of rebirth and new growth, let’s aspire to not just hear truth but to really receive it and allow it to change us. Let’s get in touch with our roots and wiggle them around a little, loosening up all of the debris we’ve piled atop them. Let’s open ourselves up to the rain, unafraid because we know that the more we lose the greater our gain.
©2016 Cristen Rodgers
Image: Elf Woman in a Magical Forest by NejroN
