High Force

High Force, Teesdale

Stand below the waterfall,
See the flow from way on high,
Washing, cleansing all within,
Till the rivers all run dry.

Where the place where rivers go?
To the seas the waters send.

Where the source of endless flow?
Rainclouds pouring without end.

Stand beneath the shower’s feed,
Close your eyes, and bow your head,
As the waters wash your soul,
Feel your troubles being shed.

Hang your arms and let your woes
To the seas with waters go.
Yet recall from up above
Flows great love to us below.

As our worries waters cleanse,
Washing sorrows far away,
Think, just as with waterfalls,
So this grace is here to stay.

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I don’t normally comment on anything religious or political. This is deliberate. It’s not because I don’t have strong feelings about such things; those who know me are well aware of my belief system. My choice not to comment on such things is based on my belief that they are better discussed face to face. That way, there can be no misunderstanding based on interpretation of the written word, and such misunderstanding will not lead to hurt feelings. Facial expressions and gestures add so much to a discussion.

However, no matter what we believe, most people feel a sense of gratitude and responsibility to a higher power. Some look to God, in whatever form they see him. Others feel that they owe much to their parents, mentors, etc. Whatever we believe, we have this sense of responsibility and gratitude to a higher power, regardless of the form of that power. We can learn much from those with less experience than ourselves.

For example, I don’t believe that my doctor and I are any better than each other. Yet I am grateful for his superior knowledge of human anatomy, health, and fitness. I don’t believe that my bank manager and I are any better than each other. But I am grateful that she can take a dispassionate look at my finances. I don’t believe that my mother, my children, my grandchildren, and I are any better than each other. Yet I am grateful for the lessons that we learn from each other, almost on a daily basis.

It’s the same with whatever power we rely on to help us cleanse ourselves from the toxic effects of the world around us. Life, today, can be so stressful, if we allow it to be. A few minutes with head bowed and arms hanging whilst allowing the shower to pour over us can help us feel those stresses fading so that we can face another day. It is one more way to meditate mindfully.

But we must be ever aware of that higher power on which we rely. Because without it we would be lost.