Nature Works in Mysterious Ways

CHRISTOPHER LEADERSHIP TALKS

OPENNESS

Nature works in mysterious ways.

Let the peony teach us some lessons.

The peony bud won’t open without ants. The peony bud is a tight, hard ball of petals, sealed shut by a sweet sap. Apparently the ants are attracted by this and crawl around the bud licking the syrup. As each petal is freed from its gluey hold, and with the help of the sun and rain, the blossom begins to open. The final result is a full, rich, sweet smelling flower.

Look around in your life for some ants – that is, the ways that you too can open up to be what you were intended to be. There are many ways to be open.

We can be open to the beauty and grandeur of God’s world. It’s sometimes easiest to see this beauty when away from the cities. My friend and I bought a cabin this summer. It’s like going to a little piece of paradise. One first travels through the majestic mountains of the Rogers Pass, then south at Revelstock to cross an inland lake surrounded by untouched, still mountains, then up a mountain road to a meadow clearing. It’s so easy in a place like that, under a clear blue sky surrounded by huge cedar trees, to be open. It somehow puts things into perspective and renews the spirit.

We can be open to the voice of God as experienced through the great music of the world, through composers like Mahler, Bach, and Mozart. I was lucky enough to be at the opening of the Centre for Performing Arts recently, and it was very hard not to be open to the glorious sound of 500 voices and musicians as it enveloped each member of the audience in that beautiful hall. Who can deny the awe with which Mozart’s Requiem is heard? Music like this can inspire and re- energize the soul.

We can be open to new experiences by developing our curiosity and flexibility in life. I’ve learned this through the years from people I have met. I have a friend who has allowed time and activities to be flexible to allow those exciting, unexpected events to happen. It’s fun to be with someone that can do that, and it’s definitely a skill or attitude that can be learned. It truly allows us to experience life more fully.

We can be open to people – not just open to them by listening with our ears or seeing with our eyes, but open with all our senses to the unspoken messages. Children and pets seem to do this instinctively; they know when someone is hurting and are there with a pat or lick of the tongue. We as adults are supposed to be more sophisticated about life, but how much do we allow ourselves to open all our senses to others.

The times that I have sensed that someone needed to talk or to have me there, and I have responded, are really some of the most satisfying times of my life. It allows us to truly make a difference in the lives of those around us.

I urge you to think about openness – the ways you can be open – to nature’s beauty, to the voice of God, to new experiences of life, and to others. Then you can look for the “ants” that will help you achieve that openness – beauty, music, friends and practice and children.

Then you will truly bloom and become the flower you were destined to be giving back beauty and making the world a better place.

You’ve learned the lessons of the peony

Christopher Leadership Course in Effective Speaking Instructor Manual - Revised 2003 CHRISTOPHER LEADERSHIP TALKS

Christopher Leadership Course in Effective Speaking Instructor Manual - Revised 2003