What Spiritually Nourishes You?

Sustenance

Even if we are very young and most especially when we are "Full of years," there are certain things that spiritually sustain us. They may be different for each person, customary for many, unorthodox for some.

I find my sustenance in things both common and uncommon. It surrounds me when I communicate with divinity. For me that communication is not carried out in a certain sacred place or special body position, it's a running conversation with the one who made me and knows me, loves me, even at my worst.

I'm sustained by the love and compassion of a friend who loves me beyond my many faults. The honesty between us is refreshing to the spirit, nourishing to the soul.

Hummingbirds and dogwood trees this time of year, in full bloom, bring a sense of continuity and beauty to my world. Dragonflies and butterflies, symbols of resurrection and eternal life inspire a sense of wonder. I feel peace when I lay in the grass and watch lazy clouds drift by or sit on the ground in a circle of puppies who jump and play with my toes and crawl up in my lap to take a puppy nap. They give me a sense of being alive even in the most depressing, "Dead" times of my life.

Sometimes I pass a mother in a store holding her newborn infant or pushing an older baby in a stroller and that is a worshipful moment for me, especially if the little one returns my smile. To me this is a sign that even with all the curses of the earth it's still being blessed with new human life and new human potential.

The awesomeness of ocean waves, the sheer joy of watching seagulls fly high then dip to catch their dinner and dolphins dancing backward over the water's surface. The uncommon beauty of a high place, where the world below seems less real and less stressful. On mountaintops I somehow feel closer to the celestial both in the physical realm and the spiritual.

Odd things sometimes enrich me spiritually. Passing by a grave loaded with flowers speaks to me of love that does not end with death. Watching a motorcycle club stick together on their highway trip solidifies the idea of friendship and camaraderie in a world where these things are often undervalued. At the veteran's hospital I see even young men and women who are crippled or brain injured, this brings me silently to my knees within. This obvious example of the price some pay for the good of others causes me to worship the One from whom every good thing in the human heart emanates, as I ask Him to bless and heal those who have made such a terrible sacrifice.

When my mind and pen are busy I am sustained by the wonder of thought and emotion and the gift of being able to impart them to others through my words. Writing is a spiritual thing for me, even when I'm writing something that may not seem at all spiritual or may be a genre no one could ever consider holy.

Sustenance, it's all around us, often pouring into our spirits without our even realizing it. Life, with all its joys and sorrows is a lush garden to sustain the human spirit.