Anchors of Hope - Creation as Sacred Mentor

It was winter. Well, not really—it was autumn—but it felt as though a blizzard had swept through my world, making it oh so difficult to breathe. You know when it’s so cold outside it feels like shards of glass are cutting your lungs as you inhale? I was devastated by some news I had received. I felt numb. I tried to distract myself, but nothing worked—or at least nothing worked until I stepped outside. As I sat on the back step of my yard, I felt as though the space outside was expansive enough to hold my confusion and anguish, and I could exhale.

Backpedaling a bit, I’ll explain. I had gone away for immersive spiritual direction training—4 weeks living in another city, in another state—completely focused on the in-depth study, prayer, and reflection designed to teach me how I could become an instrument of sacred listening. Upon my return, I received the news that crushed my heart. Details of the news are not important for my reflection but rather what came next.

I took my loss, my disorientation, and my heartache to my spiritual director. I described to him what was going on and diverted everything to my head in order to keep talking. We’ve known each other for many years, so he knows my patterns. This is the long-term benefit of walking the interior journey with someone over time.

As I wept and stared out the window, he was gentle; he asked where I was finding relief. As I gazed outside at the flaming tree beside his office, I said, “Out there.” He followed my gaze and said, “You know, the beauty you see there is fleeting. It won’t be there in a few days.” Ordinary wisdom. I got it. Don’t get attached to what is impermanent and, beyond that, he was telling me that the impermanence of creation may hold a relevant lesson for my grieving heart.

He shared with me what he had gleaned over the years: that Creation can be a companion and a mirror. Nature is a beautiful solace for our suffering, scenery to walk within as we surrender our distress, as in the Japanese practice of forest bathing. He paused, “Creation already soothes you. What if you considered nature as a kind of a model, a mentor? How does nature mirror your current reality? Is there a meaningful parallel in what you see?” I sat with those questions for a few days, and then it clicked into place for me.

When autumn arrives in four-season territories, the leaves on most deciduous trees begin to change, turning from deep shades of green to variations of buttery yellow, soft orange, and fiery red. Eventually, these trees release their leaves altogether and stand as startled, barren soldiers when snow begins to gather around their ankles. That is exactly how I felt! Their jagged branches spoke to my raw spirit. The trees became kindred spirits and that’s how their mentoring began.

How incredibly beautiful and serene the trees are as they release their leaves to the ground every single year; the leaves repurpose into mulch and eventually become nourishment for the grubs. How do these stately creations surrender to the wind? What can I learn from this? The ‘trust’ they model is so consistent with how God works in all of creation. Trees are also imbibed with God’s Spirit; creation a unique incarnation of the Creator. What looks like a surrender unto death is really an evolution, isn’t it? The transition they model for me is revelatory. What happens to creation, happens to me…and just like creation survives the winter—so will I. As I let go, following the example of all that grows around me, I become something/someone else, and the trust I employ also becomes nourishment for the next phase.

I can trust in the seasonal autumns and springs of my life—the dying and rising process—because I have sacred history with the Creator. I know that there is life after death…even after the little deaths. What looks dead may merely be dormant. There is a tomorrow worth hoping for because I know my Creator is already there.

St. Francis understood this nuanced kinship. Going outside, walking beneath my Sister Trees and Brother Wind, I am not on my own during hard times. Creation is not merely something to be enjoyed as an observer; there is timeless wisdom embodied there for us. God is there—in all things. Even Jesus sat on the hillside overlooking Lake Galilee, when he was stressed out, learning what he could from what he saw. All of creation gives glory to God, not because it is perfect, but because it surrenders to what comes next. God is dynamic, as are God’s evolving messages to me through all that lives.

How will God mentor you toward hope through creation? Get outside. Creation has much to say.

Going Deeper

• Read more about how God’s ongoing creation reflects mercy in this writing by Becky Eldredge.

• St Francis sang his famous canticle to creation. Pray it slowly. Read between the lines. What wisdom did Francis possess about creation as the primary revelation of God? Enjoy this one-minute video that beautifully lays out why God uses creation to communicate with us.

• Pierre Tielhard de Chardin, SJ was a Jesuit priest and a brilliant, renowned scientist. Originally, the Church wrestled with his insights and conclusions. He had so much to say about how creation and the Divine communicate. Learn more about his life and mystical writings.

• Enjoy this song by The Porter’s Gate, singing their own Canticle to the Maker.

• Discover the practice of ‘forest bathing’ as a place to find solace and comfort. How can you ‘baptize’ this practice and ‘make it holy?’ If you don’t live near a forest, use this beautiful video to take a walk virtually. Open your heart to finding God in the forest.

Photo by Monique Jacobs

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Monique Jacobs

Monique Jacobs has been engaged in professional active ministry in the church for 40+ years, offering workshops, retreats, and writing. She accompanies people in these roles, and as a Spiritual Director, using Ignatian methods and spirituality. Her joy is to serve as mentor and companion to others, highlighting their gifts and helping to build up the body of Christ. Monique also hosts a YouTube Channel: Finding God in All Things, new videos posted weekly. Monique serves as the Director of Mission and Identity for Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada. Subscribe to Monique’s YouTube Channel, Finding God In All Things.