Poem: Now by Heather Seargeant

The following poem has been graciously shared by Heather Seargeant, a participant at the recent Art: Vocabulary For The Soul Retreat held at King's Fold in June. 

The retreat was a journey taken in community, and as we gathered to share where we'd been led throughout the weekend, Heather shared this new poem. I asked her if I could share it with you, as I believe it calls us toward to Sacred Small–toward the great gift of attention we can offer to the world and one another. 


NOW

Now
Life as it is.
‘Embracing the present moment’
              for this is where God is

‘Now here
God here
God’s grace
God’s presence
God’s love’

When bells ring, harps play, the sun shines, the leaves
              rustle softly on delighted trees

When all is mundane
             when the floors are dirty and need to be washed
             when weeds grow, when papers pile high
             when endless errands must be run

When relationships die
           when life is distressing
           when beauty is destroyed

When we are blamed for what we have not done
           when the best of intentions are misunderstood

When faith seems unreasonable
When faith seems perfectly reasonable

In every moment
In every task
In every leaf, cloud, raindrop, hailstone
In every everything
God is
Seen or unseen
‘Love at the very heart of things’

Oh, God! Help me first stop
                                         remember
                                         acknowledge
                                         be grateful
                                         lean into
                                         even the moments I wish would go away

Open my heart to your transcendence
         open my heart to your
         redeeming
         every
         everything
You are always there
         eager for me to
         lay my head
         on your shoulder
         to be embraced
         to admit my confusion
                         my weakness
                         my need
        to know you weave
              miracles
                        into
                              every everything

This sacred now.

 

~ Heather Seargeant


An author's note from Heather Seargeant on the quoted sections: 

"The '...' denote words that I have borrowed rather closely from Larry Werner, Jean Pierre de Caussade and Malcolm Guite ... the idea really was sparked again by ideas expressed by Bill Dogterom."

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