When Words Take Wing

Finding Presence in Threshold Times

Life pulses through me, through you, through our lands and collective consciousness. Words dance just beyond my grasp. This afternoon, shoveling my way to the Kenai River during another snowfall—there’s been more than 12” this week—I rested alongside the aquamarine river at the dock, seeking solace and clarity. Breathing into presence. Stillness. Snow drizzled in muffled silence. Ducks winged by, then an eagle flew upriver at eye level. My pen hovered motionless. In times of intensity, I’ve found that nature offers what words cannot.

Later, as darkness blanketed the landscape, I turned to photography, opening Lightroom Classic, wandering through images. Is it true that an image can truly capture a thousand words? Photos of flowers, then a mix from the island of Molokai offered gentle invitation. I paused, smiling, remembering the lens of freedom in this moment of opening the present with a butterfly, in a field of flowers. Refreshed in the now, it’s become an icon for my mood this week, calling me out of myself, my concerns for others, and the weight of local and national elections, and into Presence.

Pollinators | ©Pegge

Later still, yearning for words to share with you as my pen still feels frozen, I sought solace—that deep knowing that we're never truly alone—and was drawn to reach for my second book, Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God. The opening scripture stirred something deep within; may it resonate with you too.

O garden-dweller,
my friends are listening for your voice,
let me hear it!

- Song of Solomon 8:13

In threshold times, we need companions—both visible and invisible. We need soul friends, wisdom guides, and that ineffable Presence some name Spirit, some name Source, some name God. Like the butterfly amidst the flowers of Molokai, we're held in a field of connection even when we feel most alone. Tonight, I found this prayer speaking to this eternal companionship, the web of support that surrounds us always, even when—especially when—we navigate uncertain waters. I invite you to contemplatively enter into this prayer* I penned a long while ago.

Spirit of Wisdom,

This day I offer you my appreciation and gratitude.

Your mighty understanding of me gently brings support at exactly the appointed time.

Never have I been truly abandoned from your presence revealed in creatures that companion me in love and friendship.

No matter the hardship, show me the face of your love in the structures and support of soul friends.

Allow me to appreciate the gift of others in time of distress and joy.

Open my heart to your presence through the lives of ancestors and wisdom companions, nature, and stranger.

Teach me to seek your love so that I may know when to cling and when to let go into the mystery of life growth.

Deepen supports that lead me toward interior freedom as I become the person you dream me to be.

Guide me to be a soul companion for others.

Thank you for the gifts of … (name people) in my life.

I place myself today and forever in your vital, loving, supportive embrace.

Amen.

*Excerpted from “Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God” by Pegge, Day 27, “Appreciating Support”

For Reflection…

• How does nature remind you of your connection to something beyond yourself?

• Where do you find a sense of being held when the world feels uncertain?

• Who are the companions who walk alongside you in threshold times?

• Do you have soul friends, furry or feathered companions, or practices to help anchor you in presence?

• How might you be a companion to others navigating these waters?