Poem of Grace: Stephen and Ondrea Levine

By Stephen & Ondrea Levine.

There is a grace approaching that
we shun as much as death.
It is the completion of our birth.

Poem of Grace: Sheba's Hestitation by Rumi

This is the first poem I have ever memorized that wasn't a song.  Surprisingly it was easier than expected. Perhaps it was because I expected to not get it right for awhile, so that gave me permission to fail?  I also identified sections and memorable lines to frame the outline which helped pull me through.

It was after I memorized it and met another grace poem that I realized it was foretelling WotY 2015.  Here it is ...

Sheba's Hesitation by Rumi

tr. by Coleman Barks

Lovers of God, sometimes a door opens
and a human being because a way
for grace to come through.

Word of the Year, 2015: Grace

A few years ago, a friend told me about her Word of the Year (WOTY) where you consider what you want to focus on in the new year, find a good word to capsulate it, and then live with it. I liked the concept and adopted it myself. 

What I like is that it's like a long-term meditation practice. Unlike resolutions which seem to loose steam quickly and get forgotten, WOTY is intended to be long term remembering and forgetting. Without the guilt of having been forgotten. It expects to be forgotten and distracted. But if it was a good word that seems ripe for you during this period of time, it will revisit you as well.

My word this year is Grace. Being more graceful with myself, for others.  It will be challenging, but aren't all growth areas?

I first ran into grace in a Rumi poem in Nov 2014. It kicked me in the pants so I decided to memorize it. The doodle above is inspired by it. I'll share it and other grace poems that have crossed my path soon. (I'm up to 3 poems now) 

I've shared the concept with others and they seem to love it. If you had a WOTY what would it be? Why?

Blessings on your year. -C