Follow the nudge

I know I’m not alone when I speak about the nudge sometimes felt, sometimes heard, sometimes seen.  However, the nudge arrives it can be so very subtle that we miss it.  Often, it is barely a blip on the radar of life. It is barely discernible, easy to miss yet important to the gentle flow of life.  When we follow that divine nudge, remarkable things happen, and conversely, when I don’t follow that nudge, equally remarkable things can happen.  In my lifetime, I have stockpiles of evidence for both sides of the equation.   There are numerous times that I was in a hurry, missed the nudge, or brushed it aside and my hurriedness was made to slow to a snail’s pace in traffic congestion.  I also have an abundance of stories of times I heard and heeded the nudge.  Today’s story is one of heeding the nudge.    

During Holy Week, I was fully prepared for Good Friday, Easter Sunrise, and the Sunday Celebration Service.  Messages and meditations were written, music is chosen with Rachel, and slides were prepared.  Everything was complete except for setting up the Easter Sunrise Service.  With Good Friday time of contemplation complete, I began collecting all that I would need to set up Easter morning in my front yard.  The front yard is the place where I enjoy the sunrise most mornings.  I set all of the equipment in the proper place.  Computer, CD player, singing bowls, phone for streaming on Facebook was in order.  I pulled out my heavy-duty extension cord from the garage and plugged the equipment in for a trial run.  Perfect!  Everything worked to perfection.  Not wanting to leave the equipment outside, I carried it indoors and carefully place everything near the front door.  I checked the weather forecast and saw that cloudy skies were predicted for the following morning – Easter morning.  “Oh well”, I thought, “the sun will be bright and beautiful just behind the clouds”.   With that, I ate a lovely dinner, took my pup, Micah, for a walk, and settled in for a quiet, cozy evening.  At about seven-thirty, I felt a very subtle, barely noticeable nudge to go through the Sunrise Service one more time, just to be certain everything was as I desired it to be.  I reviewed the order of the morning, the music I had selected, the words that wanted to be said.  That, however, wasn’t enough to satisfy the nudge.  I needed to check each piece of equipment also.  When the time came to check the CD player, “Oh my!” I said aloud.  The CD player showed no power.  I immediately tried another outlet – nothing. I unplugged the power cord from the back of the player then plugged it back in – still nothing!  Now I looked around the room expecting the spirit of Alan Funt to peek out saying “Smile, you’re on Candid Camera”.  Instead, I was stuck with this now not working CD player as my reality.   

I’ve had enough technology mishaps and malfunctions to know that if I stay calm and present, I can figure most anything out.  This was my truth at this moment also.  I grabbed my keys, hopped in the car, and off to the store I went.  I searched the shelves for CD players and found none.  The salesperson was a very, very young woman who was also very kind.  She directed me to the shelf, far in the corner, down at the very bottom where two devices sat.  “Not many people buy these, not many people listen to CD” she said with her eyes smiling above her face mask.  “Thank you so much”, I replied, and bent to scan my choices – there were two types to choose from.  I made my selection, paid for my merchandise, again thanked the young salesperson, and shared that she helped save the day for our Easter Sunrise Service.  As I arrived home, I set up the new cd player to be completely certain it worked.

The divine nudge, the intuitive urge, the whisper, the still small voice., whatever you call that which moves you into action is our dearest friend.  You see, I believe the universe is supporting our good – yours and mine. I believe that when I am awake and alert, I realize the fine nuances of the movements of this universe. I am better able to discern that voice, that nudge that guides me ever forward in the direction of my highest and best.  When I am present and attune to what is moving in my physical body, and my mind, I am poised to hear the nudge.  I am ever so grateful for having heard and equally important, having heeded that nudge on this eve of Easter.  I shudder to think of the outcome had I not listened and followed the still small voice that led me to check on everything just one more time.  Easter Sunrise would have still happened, an observance of the breaking new dawn would have happened also; although it would have been void of the chants of “Om Shanti”, (sacred sound of peace) and “Om Namah Shivaya” (deep bow to our inner self).  We would have gathered and prayed and meditated and shared the new dawn and the Christ consciousness rising as each of us.  Yet, it was a lovelier experience to have the music, the chant that brought the vibration of sound and the Holy to our experience.  

I found yet again how rich and full and abundant life is when lived in harmony and in the flow of Spirit.  I need to do nothing more than listen and follow.  In my lifetime and I am supposing in your lifetime too, that still small voice has not led me or you astray.  In fact, I can speak honestly for myself and say that life lived following that divine nudge has led me on the most exhilarating and enlivening adventures of my lifetime.  I for one can hardly wait to hear where and what it leads me to do next.  

Many blessings and much love,

Rev. Karen