Lent Garden of Refreshment

 

This Lent season, I am aiming to be much more purposeful about the 40 days that are Lent. I always want to reflect more in this season, and it somehow escapes much of my daily practice.

Lent is meant to be a time of simplicity, reflection, and withholding. But that does not mean it needs to feel dry or lacking in beauty. So, I am keeping a few pages in my journal blank and listing each day of Lent. Each day, I note something that is beautiful or inspiring. It could just be a note about the crisp, chilly morning that I delight in so much. Or, the beauty of tulips even past their prime somehow still showcase a loveliness surpassed by no other flower I think.  

I am simply building a garden of refreshment in my Lent pages. It's nothing big. No pressure to do much. Sometimes my days feel so overwhelmed I don't have space to do much. This is a way to just note the blessing present in that day. At the end I will see the whole season with notes of goodness in the everyday. It is all about rearranging your thoughts to look at the good, the beautiful, and the gift of each new day. 

Do you do anything different for Lent? I am finding that changing a few things makes the season more meaningful. I have never given up things for Lent before, but this year I decided that giving up candy/cookies/chocolate/etc would be a good reminder each time I crave something sweet like that, to be turning my heart to God instead for the feeling of sweetness in His blessings. It is going well so far. 

Another thing I do every year is read through a poetry book that takes me through the whole season. My book of choice is Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite. It is a book with a poem each day and a short reflection by Malcolm. It is a wonderful book I turn to every year.  

"...a gospel paradox takes us deep into the mystery of time. The paradox is about losing to find, giving away to gain, giving everything up only to find it given back in a new and more beautiful form."

Following Dante into Hell

 

Then said my courteous master: "See, my son,
All those that die beneath God's righteous ire
From every country come here every one.

They press to pass the river, for the fire
Of heavenly justice stings and spurs them so
That all their fear is changed into desire;

And by this passage, good souls never go:
Therefore, if Charon chide thee, do thou look
What this may mean - 'tis not so hard to know."

- Canto III, The Divine Comedy: Hell

A Medieval text can reach our souls today? How do we understand it? Can it teach us things we never considered? Well, you know that my response is always, yes, absolutely. There is so much to learn from the wisdom that came before us. And the creativity is amazing. I have much to glean and I rejoice in that.

I suspect that most people avoid glancing at old literature because they think it entirely unapproachable,  difficult in language, or out of date in what it is saying. Did you know Dante's Divine Comedy is actually quite political?  This was a way of him poking at that fire a bit as he sat in exile. He places certain political, religious, and well-known people in the various circles of Hell that he meets as he journeys through. He definitely ruffled some feathers when he wrote this from 1308 and completed it in 1320.

Sin is a choice, and therefore being in Hell is a choice as well. Dante portrays this idea in the allegory of his Inferno. Reading this for the second time, in my new book, the translation by Dorothy L. Sayers, it is fresh and lively. I will gladly read everything that DLS has written. She journeyed deep into her study of Dante and The Divine Comedy. She corresponded with Charles Williams (an Inkling who was in his own right quite an expert in Dante) frequently. Their writings have helped open up this work to see the hidden/deeper meaning behind all the symbols that pop up with every step of Dante's journey with his mentor (he calls master) Virgil through the circles of Hell.

When you read this, you cannot help but laugh at the irony of the figure of Satan himself, a giant at the very bottom of Hell, when they finally reach it after crossing through all the terrible circles. Especially in the description of him being encased in ice from the waist. With three faces, each mouth devouring a sinner. Once Dante and Virgil cross through the center of Hell to the other side of the ice sheet, comically they see the hairy legs of Satan just sticking up. 

There are more encounters of humour, irony, and interesting meetings along the way. Dante has the feelings we could easily commiserate with in our own days. Struggling through a darkness in life, going through the pain and suffering, and coming out the other side with a little bit of wisdom shining on our faces.

Sleeping Next to all the Books

 

It was only a matter of time before the books overflowed and I ended up sleeping next to them. 

One day they may end up in my bed somehow, stealing most of the duvet. Books kind of have a way of inviting themselves onto every surface available. Usually I am tidying a little stack of unruly books that somehow made their way off a shelf. Who knows how it happens? I am always welcoming them into my home so I suppose that is inevitable. I do not ever begrudge my decision to welcome them, though.

This time they have all floated off their shelves and into my bedroom, building stacks of tall towering skyscrapers. They arranged themselves into an Inklings sandwich unbeknownst to me - stacks of Tolkien, next to Lewis, next to more books about the Inklings. The tall, lumbering stack of Chesterton is nearest to my head of the bed, so hopefully some of his wit and wisdom of the world is soaking into me every night as I sleep. The poetry stack leans a little precariously, as many poetry books tend to be small and as it grows tall, a wobble ensues. There is a little bit of a metaphor there somewhere.

It is rather fun to see a huge amount of my books in a different perspective. I do not want them to be long on my bedroom floor next to my bed, for if I needed to find a particular title, it would be a challenge. Not to mention a library needs shelves (a home) for the books. Part of the joy of having hundreds upon hundreds of books is being able to browse them like a library. Soon, patient books. I will get you a new home to perch from. Your old home has gone to live at Mum's house.

After the Rain

 

After the Rain

The birds are singing after the rain -
From splash-soaked branches I hear
their chatty, cheerful chirps.

Clouds part and open to the sun again -
As if a thick storm had not passed
my home with rumbles and rain.

The dripping-drooping leaves and calm, cool air
invite an attitude of reflection
in puddles or minds.

Rejoice in this gift, so lovely and fair -
A new day fresh born and alive. 
Be still and see.

Comfort Comes

 

Comfort Comes

Comfort comes in the cold climate
Wintry throes of whistling winds
pound impatiently at your window.
This is where the comfort begins.

The requirement takes some room.
Make way for your warmest throw.
It takes a subtle dance of sweaters
to be in the cold comfort know.

Don't let bare hands deceive you,
they need some comfort too.
Wrap them around a hot cup of tea,
warming your inside outside through.

A smooth pen will do quite nicely -
Poised above the present page
of your writing or reading, thoughtfully
gleaning from thy book, thy sage.

The evidence rises on the glass of windows,
icy frost growing upwards, looking in
at your candle-lit room, and cosy nook,
where we find you, reading yet again.

Tales of Comfort

 

What is comfort for you?
Is it food? An air temperature or weather? A piece of clothing? A place?

For me, it has a lot to do with atmosphere. Give me some soft socks, a cup of steaming tea, a chunky book, a sweater, a few candles, maybe a blanket, and cold-grey weather. Rain? Even better. Snow? In my dreams.

Not only is Winter a more cosy season in general, because we tend to bundle up and light a fire or candles and wear soft sweaters, but as the time continues on and on and on of being isolated more due to the pandemic, we are staying home more than usual. We are not taking long trips or going out to crowded events at all these days. Are we finding ways to be comforted at home in our own ways? 

The news, media, and even social media can add stress and remove us from comfort. Sometimes I may talk to someone who is clearly obsessed with listening to media and others about all the negative things going on in the world and my heart is dragged down in that. Sometimes I think 24 hour news and internet is the worst invention because it means it can become obsessive very easily, where it becomes all we listen and devote our time to. I remember when I was little you had to wait for the 6:00 news to get the news. There is nothing wrong with just getting the essentials.

What we choose to focus on will become what we think about and how we react to the world. If we focus on the negative and what the media tells us, we will adapt that negative, bitter outlook too. If we focus on beauty, simple joys, comfort, and good words, we will adapt that mindset instead. 

Do you have a comfort read genre or author that you turn to? I tend to love murder mysteries as you may know. But also Elizabeth Goudge is one for me, and I just finished her novel Green Dolphin Street. I love how she sweeps you the reader into a story with atmospheric locations and developed characters. And always enriched with heart and soul. 

So, I am going to continue to appreciate all the Winter vibes that have been gracing us lately. As I write this, I am wearing three layers, my thickest socks, and my chunky blanket covers me. It is a cold night. My book is within arm's reach, and that is exactly what I will be opening as soon as I close my laptop after writing this sentence.