Thirty days of Thanks Giving - Day 20 - Angels come in all sizes, shapes and forms. My early conceptions all had wings and halos, much like and much informed by Middle Ages art. But as I have grown older my angels have all lost their wings and have left the canvas. The paintings were never very good. I mean some are considered master pieces and I agree that they are master pieces of art. But still they are not very good. It’s like seeing a really good self-portrait but it turns out that it’s of the wrong person all along. Or it’s like jumping behind the wheel of a brand new Porsche finding it drives like an unwieldy fork lift; it just isn’t the right essence. Not that it is easy to see off the canvas either. There are conditions required to see them. My ego has to be tamed and out of the way (a rare occurrence). My mind has to be fairly quiet and I need to be presence in the moment (even rarer). And then I can see the angels. This can happen anywhere and does. When I am present I see the angels. I see them in the street. I see them on the sidewalk. I see them asking for money and selling papers. It’s in these angels, off the canvas, filled with light that I can more easily see the face of God. And when I’m really, really present I can see it in the reflection in the street window. Try it, you can too. It’s like the present given to you for being present. Today I’m thankful for all the angels that are about us, if we do our part to let it happen.
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 05:24:14 +0000