This is an excerpt from the new book Naked Seeds, written by M.E. Collins. This is one woman’s journey to self-acceptance from a Catholic nun to coming out to a beautiful dance with the Divine. I wrote the forward, and am delighted to offer this brief excerpt to you.
My book Naked Seeds: One Woman Unearths What Was Silenced, is dedicated to all people who want to love and be loved in healthy, inclusive ways and who need to tell their stories to heal.
Is it safe to write this Book? Do I dare to risk being political? Do I dare to share what I have gathered and tended in the pockets of my heart, mind, body, and spirit as I made choices that taught me the importance of telling my truth, my stories?
Seeds to the Light and Back
Born.
Silenced
Buried
Yet,
when the invitation of warmth arrives
she emerges
her hope swells,
her belief rises.
She shares and nourishes
with beauty and uniqueness
food for the seekers
and for the seers.
It is safer, perhaps
to be silent
Jesus was crucified!
Yet,
the Light returns
in each of us.
Calls for our stories to emerge
To be shared
To risk being seen
Love your enemies:
Many Christian churches teach “love your enemies.” I have done my best to understand, forgive, and learn from those who hurt me.It involves finding common ground. Ask what human rainbow of seeds grew in their lives to make them an “enemy.” Time, healthy input from many teachers along the way, and repetition have taught me to love the enemy inside of myself. Peace is the acceptance of conflict within myself. As I shared my stories with you, I saw the benefit of accepting my conflicts and challenges. The way I chose to live my life became easier; I can see myself, love myself, and be more compassionate to others.
Seeds are Everywhere, God is Everywhere, Let’s Dance!
I learned through years of therapy and prayer that I can have” issues”, that is, imperfections, what other people want me to be, a growing edge, and still inspire the world with my stories, prayers, sermons, and readings. In other words. I do not have to be perfect, a good girl all the time, based on other people’s values. My challenges and how I am with my local communities or global challenges don’t change who I am; they can bring out the best in me if I let them. My gift has much to do with those who come into my life for me to serve. This is what I learned from Jesus. He told parables, and stories with a teaching point, sharing who he was and what he believed. He responded to those who “touched” him with their cry for help or a desire to learn or be accepted and included. The parable of the seeds gives me support to let go of how people will receive my stories or not. My hope is that my sharing might inspire others to share their stories. I wanted to write a book now because, at 75 years of age, I may or may not have time to read and tell my stories to people in public, which was a part of my dream for many years. I may have plenty of time, but my garden has seeds of breast cancer that is spreading. So, methinks, it might be good to move as if I am late for a very important date, like the rabbit in Wonderland. It is inevitable that some of my “seeds,” my stories, will light up your past, present or future choices and beliefs. I pray that you will be encouraged to nourish those memories so they might enrich your present life. My seeds might make you uncomfortable, like a plant that makes you sneeze, or you might be afraid it is a weed that will take over your garden. Only if you let them do so. Wear gloves and choose wisely what you want to remember, to keep and tend in your own gardens.
God is everywhere, including, maybe especially, in the nourishing muck of our discomfort, disagreements, fears, and painful seasons of growth. God is there with us in our choices. We come to these places of choosing over and over again, which is the gift of learning and growing. I am planting seeds and trees that I will never see. Knowing that I am planting them gives me pleasure.I believe Jesus, my beloved Rabbi, enjoyed the dance of life and learning, as well as sharing stories. It is our challenge, if we choose, to learn to relish the never-ending possibilities we are given and to dance with each other. I share the song below that I learned from Rabbi Lisa Rappaport and Cantor Steve Margolin of the Jewish community in Chico, California. It nourishes my heart and reminds me of what we can do together.
Olam Chesed Yibaneh
I will build this world from love
And you must build this world from love
And if we build this world from love
Then G-D will build this world from love
Original Lyrics: Psalm 89
Melody and English Lyrics: Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Shared in this book with the permission of Rabbi Creditor
Telling is powerful. I encourage you to tell your own stories
In my book, there are at least 129 mentions of pain. I am blessed to have discovered that pain is a messenger that gives us information about our choices. It is not an enemy. If we listen to the messages it offers, in our own quiet time, or with the help of others who provide a safe place to listen and learn, our pain surprises us with why it is there and what it needs. Then, we can heal and return to balance in body, mind, and spirit. Telling our stories is an important step in healing what our bodies have been storing and opens the path to healing. It takes courage to tell our stories, and sometimes there is pain as we release them. The rewards are usually healing for ourselves and for the listeners. My personal choice is to pay attention and give thanks daily for the journey that I am living. I have “pockets full of seeds” and take joy in spreading them around with respect, love, and healing for all I meet. I am a woman learning to trust as I dare to share them with you. Thank you for wandering through my garden of stories. M.E Young
Purchase Naked Seeds today (amazon affiliate link) here: https://amzn.to/40nG3cs
