Discernment is a gift from God. But it also includes an intentional attempt on our part to hear God’s call in our life. –Listening Hearts, p 24

This meditation takes you on a walk in search of a leaf. You might traverse city streets, wooded paths, or suburban sidewalks; any kind of environment works. Read over this guide once or twice, until you feel comfortable and confident setting out.

Take a moment to become settled and quiet. Draw slow, deep breaths. Bring the circumstances of your daily life into your meditation with you, taking time to identify a question or issue with which you may be wrestling. Wait in silence. If nothing specific comes to mind that you would like to reflect upon, get in tune with the general state of your being.

Read the following scriptural passage, or if you prefer, select another passage that you’d like to meditate with today.

Be still, and know that I am God. – Psalm 46:10

Read the words over and over to yourself, allowing them to sink in. Take them into your body, mind, and soul. Allow God’s presence to wash over you. You may want to close your eyes. Take as much time with the passage as you like to become centered, attuned, and still.

Set out for a good long walk.

While walking, try to feel a sense of reverence for the ground beneath you, the air around you, the sky above you, and the wonders of God’s creation.

Well into your walk, begin looking for a leaf that seems to speak to your deepest thoughts and feelings. Take in its shape, color, texture, tears, and angles; notice the qualities it suggests such as strength, energy, movement, or stillness.

Hold it reverently. You might want to sit down and look at it. Consider how your leaf represents the discernment issue you identified at the beginning of your meditation. Ponder what God may be saying to you through it.

Carry your leaf with you back to your starting place. Decide what you would like to do with it as your time of meditation comes to a close. You might return it to the outdoors, add it to a flowerpot, or place it on a windowsill where you will see it often. What you do with your leaf may suggest something more to you about your discernment issue.

Take a final moment of silent prayer, giving thanks to God.

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