Discipline is required to see the lushness present in all of life, including our problems.

Cascadian wildflower meadows teach us that ALL of life is filled with sacred lushness.  However, just as it requires the physical discipline of hiking steep trails to see the best of these meadows, so spiritual discipline is needed to find everyday lushness in the midst of the stresses of life.  Here, we let go of a lowland view of life - where we see the world in terms of problems and complaints - and instead practice seeing things from an upland perspective, where we transcend our problems by getting in touch with the crisp spaciousness in which they all float. With an "alpine" view, we understand that "problems" are simply the compost for beautiful wildflowers; that is, for an awareness that each element of life is chock-full of the Divine Presence.

Photo: Avalanche Lilies and Mount Rainier; Spray Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, WA; July 28, 2013.