You belong simply because you are here

You belong simply because you are here.
In however many ways
you’ve been made to feel otherwise
that’s how many times we’ll
anoint those lies with light.

I know you’re wondering if there is room.
Don’t fear.
There is no limit to how
much beauty and hope the ocean can hold.
You and you and you
are all on this earth
to feed the lake.

When criticism arrives and pollutes the water,
as it surely will,
the sea has agreed
to carry that voice back to it’s rightful place.
A paper boat will do.

If all you can offer is a single note or crooked line
It’s more than enough.
The lake will take it into Herself
And hold it -
like a sacred offering.

The idea of ‘feeding the lake’ is not my own. It comes from a wonderful book by Madeline L’engle called “Walking on Water”. This book entered my life when I needed it most; reminding me that all of us, no matter how meager or imperfect our contributions, are on this earth for the sake of co-creation.

 I found this copy in a used bookstore. It was only after I finished reading the book that I discovered Madeline’s handwritten signature on the 2nd page. I do believe her spirit led this book into my hands.