Lessons from the Lotus

July

Lessons from the Lotus

The lotus seeds sprout and root in mud that is often thick with debris

and root tangles and yet rich with nutrients stored there for many

years.

We have an expression “Knee deep in the mud.” And it is not a positive

expression. We tend to look for something to take us out of the mud,

cure the mud, change the mud, or make sense of the mud.

But what if the mud is where God is? What if we stop looking outside of

the mud for someone or something to save us and instead accept the

mud as the place we grow from not escape from?

The lotus can’t escape from the mud, it can only take what it needs

from the mud and grow despite the ugliness. And so can we.

The mud is not failure, condemnation, punishment, a curse, fear,

confusion, what we deserve or the result of what we have done.

The mud is filled with the graces that our struggles have brought us, the

abilities we couldn’t get in the easy times.

It contains all the things that will bring us to the divine feminine beauty

that was in our soul from our birth.

It might be seen as stinky, disgusting, painful and dark, but with faith

and endurance it sends us toward the sun.

The lotus teaches us that where we reach to is more important than

where we came from.

Despite the wet and murky conditions, the lotus seed sends a stem that

breaks through the mud and starts its upward journey through the

water. It’s beginning in the mud, and its journey through the murky

waters, strengthens the stem, which forges its way upward, until it

finally emerges through the water and finds the sun.

The distance from mud to sun is long and dark but the stem of the lotus

plant is made for that journey. We too are made for our particular

journey, though we often get sidetracked by looking at other people’s

journeys.

There are air spaces are present in the roots and stem, not only giving it

a buoyancy but also making the lotus able to move and respire under

water. Are there air spaces in your life? Do you make time and space to

just breathe? Do prayer and meditation lighten your heavy burdens

and long dark days?

For a large portion of my life, I thought I had to be strong, tough and

constantly busy handling everything. The thought of stopping, resting,

being vulnerable or asking for help terrified me. I prided myself on have

a spine of steel, not realizing that steely strength was preventing me

from bending over to smell a flower or pick up shells on a beach. Today

I understand hollow spaces are not empty wasted places, they are the

waiting places. They are places that are meant to remain open so, when

tough and painful times come, God can fill those spaces with his

comfort, grace and the strength of unconditional love.

Like the lotus, we all have the potential to rise above the challenges of

life and bring forth something beautiful and pure, something uniquely

ours. That beautiful thing, like the lotus blossom, will come from an

inner knowing and willingness that can stand firm in the face of struggle

and adversity. All we need to do is get out of the way and let it happen.

When the lotus finally breaks through the surface of the water, it is

wrapped tightly in its bud which has helped it on its journey. It isn’t

afraid to leave the bud, it knows true safety is not in staying away from

life, but rather in opening to the sun which has been waiting for it all

along.

I pray that, like the lotus, when God shines a light on me, inviting me to

let go of the tight hold my fears and uncertainties have on me, that I

too will respond with trust. Is there a fear keeping you stuck in the bud,

keeping you from experiencing the beauty of growing?

Some of us, when invited by the sun, respond with impulsivity not fear.

Have you ever tried to rush the process of recovery, wanting instant

change?

I addition to the air spaces in the lotus stem, the stem is also coated

with a waxy layer that helps it avoid decaying in the water. In the

difficult times of our lives, when it seems like life is slowly decaying us,

we too have a layer of protection. That layer is our faith and trust in the

unconditional love of our Higher Power.

The lotus blossom blooms slowly, unfolding one delicate precious petal

at a time, until it’s entire being is open to the sun, which can take a day

or more depending on the amount of sunlight. Are you willing to wait

for things to open in their own time? The lotus reminds us to be less

critical of ourselves as we open to our magnificence regardless of how

long it takes.

And despite the murky water, the petals emerge pristine because

nature has given each petal a protective outer coating that repels dirt

and water. Now unfortunately nature has not given us a way to repel

harmful elements from approaching and we are responsible for

providing that protection to ourselves. We protect ourselves with

supportive friends and communities. We protect our relationships with

gratitude and forgiveness. We protect our spirits with prayer and

meditation. We protect our bodies with healthy and appropriate self

care. The lotus reminds us to take care of the beautiful miracle that is

us.

Not only are the petals protected by an outer covering, they are also

protected by the lotus’ ability to regulate the temperature of its

flowers. Are you aware of the fluctuating temperature of the emotions

inside you? Do you have practices that help you cool down when angry

or warm you when you are feeling cold and alone?

At night, the lotus blossom closes up and submerges under the water

where it stays till the morning sun shines on the surface of the water,

calling the lotus blossom forth. The lotus will repeat this process for a

few days before it starts shedding its petals. The lotus stem will then

slowly sink into the water returning to the mud, where it will wait for

the new growth of its seed that is buried deeply in the mud.

When failure or loss of your petals happens, will you, like the lotus,

return to your beginnings, your God, to wait for new growth to begin,

believing it will happen in God’s time?

An individual lotus seed has been known to grow and bloom for over a

thousand years, despite long periods of not growing or blooming. The

lotus knows that no matter how long it has been since its last period of

growth, the seed remains strong and the possibility of new growth is

always there. When nothing seems to be happening, will you believe

and trust in the process?

The lotus is like our lives. While we are rooted in the mud of everyday

living, of addiction, of all kinds of problems, we arise each morning to

the invitation of our Higher Power to open our petals and present our

beauty to the world. May the lotus guide you to seek the light, no

matter how long the journey, and be the reflection of that light to your world.