Facing the Ceiling

I'm so ready for bed, everything in me is screaming out to be asleep right now. I wrote the title to "be funny," in the way I am not funny at all (and if you are scratching your head right now, welcome to my world.). 

Even so, I'm realizing to "face the ceiling" could be a descriptor of so much more than sleeping: I could be facing the glass ceiling. I could be coming to terms with my limitations, the height of my trajectory, the top of my pay range. . .Having taken a Pure Barre class tonight, I think of all the abdominal work we did while looking up. 

Chasing the tangent, I consider looking up into the sky during the day - the clouds forming some barrier between the land and the sun. Then at night, the perceived ceiling drops away with the setting sun, and the sky keeps reaching ever forward into deepening and deepening space. 

I'd call that revelation. We spend our days following a direction, thinking the parameters set with so much road ahead (and behind), with the blue sky above. Our living days consisting of these rules. Then night arrives - the road, sure and obvious before, now misshapen with shades of gray smudging the lines. The sky, self-contained and solid, shot through with lights stretching further and further out. Everything which was certain now appears wild and mysterious. Anything I thought real shape-shifts and more possibilities are left in its place. 

The Bible may say it like, "This is impossible with humankind, but with God all things are possible." 

Maybe the ceiling is part reality, but part figment of my imagination. Maybe I need to sleep on it. 

PRACTICE

Lectio Divina: Read the following passage through after a few deep breaths and pay attention to any word or phrase which sticks out for you. Read through again and pay attention to anything further you notice about the word/phrase and how it applies to you. Read through again and spend time in prayer with the word/phrase asking God what you need to understand/know/do with the word/phrase (i.e., How might God be guiding you? What needs your further action? Where may your understanding need to be changed or expanded? How may this impact your relationship with someone else?). End with a time of thanksgiving. 

Matthew 19: 16-26

16 Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. 19 Honor your father and mother. Also, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

Photo credit here.