True Spirituality

True Spirituality.  (Fifth in a series on Choosing Un-brokenness)

Howdy. 

My Sunday afternoon was an unusual one – but with the luxury of a few hours to spare, I steered my rental car out of Flagstaff and onto Highway 89, a mostly windy road to Sedona, Arizona.  Besides hearing the area was beautiful, I have always heard it referred to as spiritual—I went to find out. 

While the day was gloriously sunny, stately Ponderosas shaded much of my drive, as I sang along to Dan Fogelberg’s soulful music. 

Really, it was quite grand!  As I rounded one curve, I spied the beginnings of red rock  . . .

apparently, the drivers ahead of me slowed to catch their breath too.

‘God created the Grand Canyon, but he lives in Sedona,’ the saying goes.  No one can deny the majesty, size or scope of the Grand Canyon, but I must admit that I was entranced by Sedona’s unique beauty.  The rugged outlines of red rock sandstone formations with gold and orange striations against the blue sky were nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Driving into town, New Age, psychic and crystal retail offerings were everywhere … spiritual?  I eventually parked my car to do a little shopping, grab lunch, and talk to some of the locals. Each time I asked, ‘Why would you say Sedona is a spiritual place?’  Each of their responses was different.

My attention was most captured by a well-spoken interesting woman who was probably about 65 years of age.  A background in business, she was well-heeled and educated, most of her life spent in San Francisco and New Jersey.   ‘And Sedona – how did you wind up here?’  Laura told me she came to heal from the emotional troubles that plagued her – loss of her mother and associated difficulties.  ‘Ah, healing,’ I smiled, ‘I have been thinking a lot about that.’  She told me of spiritual training and directed meditating she had been doing, all the while unbeknownst to me she was being consulted by my ‘unseen friends’, telling her things about me.  Interesting.  Truly. 

What did I find in Sedona?  The drive through the trees was soothing, and my heart welled with gratitude to God for the beauty before me . . . everything from the wild sunflowers along the sides of the road to the ages-old rugged red rock-scape.  All of it shouted of a creator that is beyond magnificent! 

And then, juxtaposed against the landscape of my thinking and writing about (emotional) healing, I once again became keenly aware of the loving power of our Creator God, and that he alone is the Source of all that is good, right and true.  Huh, I could even picture Jesus’ face as he looked into the faces of his disciples and said, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life…’^#  True spirituality.

And I loved Sedona.

Christine

^{#John 14.6a}