Open Your Gentle Soul to the Peaceful Life Abounding

SOULS are gentle parcels of spirit containing ether. They pare away from the body at life’s end and return to God, but every step of our journey we travel — body with soul.

The body is a vexation in so many ways — it aches and moans and groans. And don’t we put our bodies through so much! Even the vessel for the mind is part of the body — one’s brain. So, in many ways the body is its own worst enemy — it is the object and subject of much abuse. The body repays like for like; it feels good and it is good to itself, and if it feels bad it is bad to itself.

And all along the soul waits patiently for the body to respect itself.

As the soul watches on it is, of course, dismayed. It wants what is of God and of itself: peace. It knows it can only have peace if the body is at peace with itself. It knows that peace comes only from acceptance, from maturity, from being still, and from simply being.

The soul waits patiently, hardly murmuring a word. Until that is we begin to tear up.

The resulting emotion beckons the truth forward and, for just a short time, the truth is allowed to take centre stage. The soul is in its peace-lit element, despite the pain, just long enough to be appeased, and then, just as quickly, the lid is jammed shut on the emotions — “I’ll be all right, alright!” Truth scampers and so does peace.

Opening our ever-so-gentle soul to the peaceful life abounding is about honesty.

If we have the capacity to be honest, which is to allow the light of truth to break through the clouds of our inner darkness — our denials, and hurts, bitterness and bravado — then we approach peace and open space for our soul to rest.

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Honesty is the key to feeling, which is the key to acceptance, which is the key to peace.

Only when we are honest about what we are feeling can we grow.

Being honest with our feelings is the key to peaceful stillness within.

The pain of honesty is sharp yet fleeting. We can bear it.

With courage comes the will and wherewithal to be honest.

Honesty is a soul’s best friend, as a friend is best when they’re honest. Our destiny is to be our soul’s best friend.

The soul honours truth because it knows truth precedes peace.

As the Old Book says, “Righteousness and peace kiss,” where righteousness and truth might as well be conjoined twins.

© 2015 Steve Wickham.