Open the Heart

by The Rev Anthea Ballam

 Open up:
To the sky –
To the sea –
To a child
To your sister
To the world.

 Unfasten your soul:
And hear the sweet song of a bird.

 When you step into the open air –
The breeze brushes your cheek like a lover
And when you stop and listen
The wind will call you
The rustling leaves
Will speak of tranquillity –
Recalling water and the gentle tide.

 If you close your eyes
You will make a discovery:
The world knows you are there –
It knows you as a child
Or maybe an ancient tree
Holding a thousand spirits
In the loving embrace of your branches.

 When you hear these words of love
You will see the flower I gave you,
You will breath in its fragrance,
Admire its beauty,
While it rests in the palm of your hand.
How fragile and delicate it seems!
Open, perfect, light as a feather
Radiant as sunshine
Mysterious as a moonbeam.

 The flower is the wisdom of your heart
It grows in the garden of time without end
Nurtured by the One that cares;
It is the force of love –
The passion that made us all
In the mysterious garden of the universe.

 Open up
And be blessed,
Joining with the Spirit, with love, as One.