Well-come!

Well-come

At the reflective writing workshop I attended this past spring, Joyce Rupp and Mary Kay Shanley used the metaphor of water to invite us into reflective exercises designed to help us access our inner wisdom - insights that are not readily available to our conscious mind in the course of our daily busy-ness.  For Christians water is a sacramental image that evokes divine presence at creation, at the parting of the Red Sea, and at Baptism; water speaks to us of cleansing, rebirth, liberation and daily sustenance.  

The first day, we used the image of a well - of digging deeply and pulling up nourishment for life.  A participant who grew up on a farm with a well as their water source pointed out that sand and sendiment can seep into the well creating the need for it to be cleaned out and filtered. We also spoke of the water table deep within the earth - that if we dig deeply enough, we access that water table whcih is the source of all wells - a wonderful image for God. Here is one piece that came from this reflective writing exercise:

My true self has been dehydrated and buried under the sediment of expectations, needs, fears and admonishments of others. Be yourself, but not that much. Turn it down. I am tired of the energy exerted to squash the feelings, wisdom, inspiration, innovation, intelligence and fun of my true self. I dive deep into the well of my soul where Divine energy washes over me and sweeps away the detritus of death that would bury me alive; the never-ending search for acceptance and approval from my mom to motherchurch. I touch the depth of my best and highest good from the very essence of God who swirled me into being. I am here and I am not going away! The Divine says, "yes!" to a world full of "no's". Yes to the me-ness of me. I soak in the courage to accept God's acceptance of me. Floating in the fullness of presence, I drink from God's water table where I am always welcome.

Welcome

Well-come

Well? Come!

Well-come – all is well, come!

The well is full – come!

Come well – come whole!

Come as yourself!

Well-come

Welcome

Photo Copyright: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/profile_hikersmurf'>hikersmurf / 123RF Stock Photo</a>