Walking Trees

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” Mark 8:22-26

We spend a good deal of time walking in the forest here in Sitka. We are surrounded and blessed with both state and national forests, great trails and wonderful places to discover. The forests are dense and ancient and the trails can be smooth or rough. On a dense, rainy day, one can imagine walking trees and living fairy tales in the exquisite twists and turns of the deep forest. One can't always see clearly in the woods and imagination and creativity are inspired within.

Jesus healed a blond man by spitting on his eyes and touching him. The first touch brought back the man;s sight but it was not complete. He saw people like trees. Jesus touched him again and saw clearly. Healing takes time, and we often expect a magic moment when we are back to our "perfect" selves, even though we were never perfect before we were broken. God healing as well as the natural healing is always a process of learning, growth and discovery. It requires our patience, imagination and our trust. Like walking in the woods, it calls forth inspiration from within. God invites us to seek healing for our broken places. God's desire is for us to grow and be changed forever as we heal.

Today I ask God to reignite my creativity and imagination. May we all be open to our own healing needs and be ready to dream and stretch again. May we not be afraid to be childlike in the presence of God, dreaming and creating beyond our present limitations.