All That Glitters

All that Glitters is not Gold...

is a simple way to say that not everything is what it seems.

The saying comes from Shakespeare's 15th century play, The Merchant of Venice. The line is derived from the drama surrounding the heroine of the play, Portia.

"All that glisters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgement old
Your answer had not been inscroll'd
Fare you well, your suit is cold."

It is also Portia who delivers the beautiful speech about Mercy and the forgiveness of human souls...

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

My wish for every soul reading this, is the wisdom to mindfully know that nothing is what it may appear to be...especially as it may seem at first glance. I wish you the comfort that comes from knowing and trusting that everything unfolding in your life is happening for you, rather than to you. Most especially, know this when you feel like asking..."Why Me?" No matter how deep the pain, how great the sorrow, know and believe that everything is happening for a reason. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and everything in between. GOD is always present, and truly is in both the profound, and the profane.

Our greatest soul struggles, challenges, and heartaches are simply *his* gifts from the universe that have been placed perfectly before us....waiting for us to find the courage to open and explore the changes they bring. It is a choice to open ourselves to receive the blessings and treasures hidden beneath their surface.

I am in the process of knowing, trusting, and believing this to be true in my own life. I am learning that the greatest of these gifts are the tiny specks of light which begin to sparkle and shine from the pinholes of our broken hearts as we move through the various situations, events, and outcomes of our lives that often cause us a great and deep amount of pain.

By gently navigating our way through the troubled waters of our lives and experiencing the dark-night-of-our-soul, we are given a chance to remember, reclaim, and embrace our own eternal strength. For without our Spirits willingness to boldly and bravely dance in the dark every now and then, we would otherwise miss the opportunity to experience the triumph, beauty, and glow of our own inner light...

Your soul-sister in courage and comfort,