The purple morning faded to lilac and, in a kaleidoscopic flash, spun from reddish orange into shades of blue. The quiet of the night transformed into the passion of the day. Those moments that had been shrouded by darkness now reflected the light.
I once worked the evening of the full moon in a large box store. The rhythm pulsed — busy one moment, ghost store the next. The energy felt kaleidoscopic — so many possibilities reflected in the brightness of moonlight. And, I saw each one as it whirled by.
The full moon waned and the new moon arrived. Fourteen days later I still was filled with the energy of that moon. I wondered if the energy was truly different or if I was opened to perceiving what lay just beyond the expected. Who knows the answer? All I know is that my perception of the world shifted as did my interactions with others.
I have said before that we are imperfect people in an uncertain world. Our suffering bubbles up in the imperfections. Of late, that little voice within whispers, “wait, listen, discern,” when I am forming a judgment about another. It nudges me to acknowledge a judgment formed and pushes me to reframe it.
I find myself wondering what does it mean to be compassionate in the face of cruelty? How do I navigate through the cruelty that seeps through imperfections? How do I respond to the cruelty present in the uncertainty of the world? My response gentle and loving yet strong and courageous. Using critical thinking I wait, listen, and discern how best to respond to the injustice. Maybe I cannot change a situation, but I can hold space for suffering to be moon like as it waxes and wanes.
But, mostly, I remind myself to question my motives so that my compassion is pure. Within this questioning I evolve my compassionate presence. I learn that although I am a compassion warrior that I engage in no war. I do not to fight any kind of fight. I take flight on compassion’s wings as I douse the flames of suffering and spark compassion in the hearts of my self and others.
Compassion calls us to burn away the embers of personal agenda and motive. Compassion calls us to fly free of expectations in the brightness of the moon and the darkness of the night. Compassion calls us to be the person we are meant to be no matter what.
Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Neural Synchrony™ facilitator, Professional Speaker, and Author who weaves her inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are A Constellation of Connections: Contemplative Relationships and Engaging Compassion Through Intent & Action. Vanessa assists clients in navigating their life paths with intuition. Contact Vanessa @ vanessa@intentandaction.com for keynotes, programs, and consultations.
Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2018
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