During a challenging period in his life a few years ago, my husband, Roger, painted a picture which he calls, The Magdalene Reaching. As I sat with this painting and asked it to speak to me, I learned much. The Magdalene carries on her face an expression of both the greatest grief and the greatest ecstasy, all in the same breath. She is at once reaching for her Lord, her Love, and at the same time letting go.
This is what we are called to do; attach and let go. A dynamic process that creates energy and flow, never stagnant. It is within this space that one finds true bliss. The Magdalene, in her humanness, gives way to her feelings and emotions, experiences her desires, reaches for what she wants, and then creates the space for life to happen, for Spirit to join with human in this creative process, in this dance, and lets go of the outcome to allow what is meant to be simply to be. It is a delicate balance, this way. Of being. Of experiencing life. It is in the moment of surrender between the attaching and the letting go that the zero point exists, the event horizon, the void in which all is possible and creations are made manifest.
In this painting, The Magdalene Reaching, the moment her hand extends toward her desire, the fingers are already loosening, the palm outstretched, the arm first moving out, expanding and then retreating, contracting, stopping briefly in that place between the two, the place where there is neither attachment to outcome, nor force, nor resistance, and miracles are allowed to happen. Spirit is there. Meet It.
Today, again, I sought out the reminder of this. Today, I find harmony in just such a place. I attached, I let go. I reach out toward my next desire, my next attachment, yet my fingers are loosening already, my palm outstretched. I am meeting Spirit in the void and allowing miracles to happen.
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“It is my hope that you will integrate this information into your daily experience in every area of your life so that it becomes not just something that you do but a way of living and a way of being. I offer you a way of living that is powerful in its practicality and spiritually rich at the same time.”
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Ahh letting go that is the hard part. I love the visual representation of it! ~ Stacey
Let go and let God! Taking that step can be a challenge, but worth it.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes! Let go and Let God! i heard this for the first time few days ago, in a prayer of Susan Shumsky and i love it!
it is, indeed, all we have to do, surrender by God, having faith and trust, keeping our palm outstretch, even if sometimes, reaching our desire and becoming too much attached of it, we may not realize we block the flow and energy and reach the resistance point, instead of being grateful for what we have and acceptance of what it is.
we become stocked, instead of being free.
picture of Magdalena is very nice and full of love, compassion, sensitivity, joy and some kind of soul-pain and soul-wisdom, some kind of sorrow, as i said for the first time .
after that, i read Michelle’s words and found a better explanation: grief and ecstasy.
it is very expressive and sensitive!
thank you, Michelle for sharing with us!
Thank You much!
Diana, Romania
What a beautiful picture. And what meaning in it as well. Thank you for sharing this with us.