Soul food

Something drew me to Sunday service at the Sacred Center for Spiritual Living today. It had been a while. Months, actually.

I walked in the door and within a minute I was swept in and enveloped in a soul dance. The music, the energy, the meditation. I cannot do it justice here.

The message delivered by the Rev. August Gold spoke to me for several reasons. One, its lesson was the one I never tire of hearing -- the answers we are seeking are within us. Two, she said the beginning of our story is supposed to be just that -- the beginning. Too often, we cling to or dwell on our past and take it with us as we continue to write the story of our lives. It has shaped who we are, of course, and understanding it is often invaluable to healthy progress. But must we carry it on our backs like an albatross?

I find that it is most difficult to do this in dating. This is when "old" things seem to unexpectedly come up, sometimes smacking me in the face. It can be jarring. Rev. Gold's words made me catch my breath at one point because I recognized my own recent actions were the result of what I was carrying around, so to speak.

Church was good for me today. So good.

My soul has been thanking me all day long.