Of Light and Butterflies

"Turning shit into Shinola..."  

"You'll never catch me up in one of those things!"

"Gelatinous goo"

Just a couple of important phrases from our time in Michigan to set the stage for my story....At the Coptic Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan Normandi Ellis was one of 5 speakers for their Spiritual Unity of Nations conference.  The speakers were from various religious arenas but the common theme was that of unity.  The last speaker of the day was a man named Ted Jauw and his lecture was called  "The Secret Light of Butterflies".  During his talk, he described in glorious detail and beautiful story-telling fashion the story of his life...and he had me in tears.

If he ever reads my interpretation of his story I'm sure he will see that I have the chronology mixed up or that I left something out but he also said at the beginning that remembering everything word for word was not important as long as we got the main point of his story...I think I can do that.  

He told of meeting a woman who had a very special yet ominous message for him...that on Thursday his wife would call and tell him she wanted a divorce and that he would eventually lose everything but would one day be with a teacher who would have a specific symbol to teach him and bring him to a new life.  Well, Thursday came and so did the call from his wife. 

His story continued and he shared how he moved and stayed with friends...who then lost their home and how he wandered and tried to find work but then the whole town lost their jobs.  In the midst of it all, he was asked if he had every cried.  He said, "Yeah, sure I have," but they told him to go out to the desert and cry out for what he wanted.  He found himself cold and in the desert...and crying.

He was led along the way to books and people and business cards...all of whom pointed the way to Big Sur in California.  He was led to money when he had absolutely none and after struggling and losing everything that he had that was familiar and comfortable he was brought to a place where he could learn and grow.   The discovery of each piece, of each sign was something that can only be described as magical and I held onto every word because I, too, feeling the dread of going home and moving and that feeling of losing everything comfortable and familiar, I needed to feel some hope and some guidance and that magical connection to the Big Plan for my life.  I sat in my chair and cried.

After his talk I had to let him know how grateful I was for his words and his story and gave him my business card, as he had seemed to collect them.  Then I went outside and sat on a rock under a lovely maple tree and cried.  It was not the cold of the desert, but I asked for guidance and for hope.  The Universe told me it would be okay...sometimes the birthing process is painful.

***

"Turning shit into Shinola"  -- Some of the phrases that stood out from the week had to do with the ability to turn all of our shit into fertilizer for blessings to grow. 

"You'll never catch me up in one of those things" -- Normandi shared her butterfly story with us...Two caterpillars were walking along and looked up to see a butterfly fluttering in the sky above.  One caterpillar turns to the other and says, 
"You'll never catch me up in one of those things!"

"Gelatinous goo" -- During the cocoon stage, the caterpillar totally disintegrates and becomes a mess of gelatinous goo to re-member itself and reform into something completely different.

***

Perhaps you are in the midst of changing shit into Shinola or feel like you are just a mess of gelatinous goo...you are not alone!  There is hope, there is guidance, there are books and people and business cards for you to find along the way.  

One day you will step into the Light of your glorious soul and be all that you dreamed of becoming.  Don't lose hope!