The Wisdom of Ivy
On a walk this week I was phone free and tuned in to my breath and what was around me. Birds chirping, cars occasionally driving by, the wind rustling the trees, the sun on my face. I was able to get out alone and enjoy my walk for the first time in a little while and it was much needed. I noticed some ivy starting to grow and climb up a wall, and something struck me. In order for that ivy to grow and climb to its full potential, it needed something to cling to, to support it, to be a source of strength because it could not climb on its own.
We are like this too, although we may try to deny it for all of or for much of our lives. We cannot climb to the heights we were meant to without help and without a source of strength that cannot be found alone. What is that source? For me, it can only come from God/a Divine source. I tried doing it on my own, or clinging to a workout, a specific routine in my days or to a certain way of eating or listening to some self help person who seemingly had it all figured out or focusing too much on my SELF as a source of strength. Nothing really lasted as a true source of support, a deep source of encouragement and love. I found that when I surrendered to God and opened myself up to a way of relationship with this Divine Spirit alive within me, that I didn’t feel quite so alone and unable.
Perhaps that sounds silly to you, or foolish to place my strength and encouragement in something “outside of myself”, but if we place it within only ourselves without the caveat that the Divine lives within and is the ultimate source, it just isn’t ever enough. We are human, and we can’t always be everything we need, because that isn’t how we were designed, and other people certainly weren’t designed that way either.
We were designed to crave the deep, unwavering and unconditional love and support that comes only from that ultimate source of it all, that is within us all. This is what we need to truly thrive and to grow, to climb to heights that we cannot fathom, and to truly be good to and love one another. To bring that kingdom here to Earth. Just the realization that we can be humble, and know that we are all just humans trying to grow through this life together and figure out how to live more like the loving presence we were each created by. Ivy’s got wisdom yo.
XO,