soar with compassion

i was working on a new painting this evening and i wrote down "soar" before i was done. as i worked on it a bit more i couldn't get the message "soar with the wings of compassion" or "soar with compassion" out of my head.

i looked it up, certain it was some familiar phrase. it seems there's a bible verse about soaring on the eagle's wing but that wasn't it. google also provided this result based on key words, i suppose:

Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the wind, whose breath gives life to all the world. Hear me; I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice make me wise so that I may understand the things you have taught my people.

Help me to remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me. Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock. Help me seek pure thoughts and act with the intention of helping others. Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me. I seek strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy - Myself. Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes. So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.

this is so perfect, though. it gives me chills. it's like the song i've always carried within and i was just thinking of how it feels like i'm finding my way to my tribe. through this unity and global community we have created online i am drawn to others that carry the same song, an accepting, awe-inspiring group of women, some of whom i may never meet and some that i am positive i will. the common thread is an ability to overcome or overlook the bullshit, ride the tide, learn the ropes, and dig with our bare hands into the cliche of being alive and living the honesty of how fucking brilliant and downright scary it is.

every moment, grateful to be here. despite.

now this is probably no surprise but i'm not churchy. at. all. i don't use the word god much, preferring instead to speak in universal spiritual terms rather than specific religious terms. but this, oh great spirit, was just the reminder i needed.

thank you.