Last Spring, Michael Meade, an acquaintance and favorite podcast writer, wrote a podcast entitled “Wise and Crosswise” which I revisit from time to time, and now share with you.[1]
In my own imagination, (and actually some specific memory), I find myself on a path through a thick forest, my walking stick sometimes held in front of me to fend off spider webs, when all at once I’m confronted by a large tree that has newly fallen across my narrow path. To my left are a large tangle of branches, and to my right a formidable array of uprooted roots. My path has been definitely “crossed”, blocked, interrupted, frustrated, restricted. And I’m not the kind of hiker that carries a worthy chainsaw in his backpack. But just being upset by the forest or this particular tree, I’ve learned to say ‘something’s going on here that’s more important than just being upset.’
What Michael taught me is that these circumstances are probably not just casual circumstance, but are more ‘on purpose’ - meant to be, meant to be taken seriously. That tree is taking me to another place, a third place, where I can assume a large wisdom or pattern is working to get my attention.
