Ramakrishna said, “The winds of  grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail.”  

This is the essence of grace. Like the winds, grace is always present and available, if only we are awake enough to notice, skilled enough to adapt, and humble enough to accept the winds that blow where they will. Reflecting on the meaning of grace as we prepare to enter a new year, I was remembering a time long ago, when I was in my later teens and became quite depressed. One day, I shut myself in my room. But my sister would not leave me alone. I didn’t want to open the door and let her in. I felt so sad and unworthy that I couldn’t imagine allowing her to see me. But she stayed put, affirming through the door, again and again, that she cared for me, no matter what. Finally, I relented and opened the door. Only now, do I see the grace of this moment, when I felt undeserving of love. There was grace in my sister’s determination to connect with me and grace in my willingness to let her in.

“The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail.” So I invite you, the reader, to consider the gifts of acceptance, attention, affirmation, encouragement and generosity you receive this month, and have received in the past, when you have done nothing to deserve such support, affirmation or love. Can you think of a time? It is a counter cultural message – that we deserve love no matter how little money we make or how little we contribute to society. Nevertheless, it is the teaching of many, if not all spiritual traditions. We don’t need to earn our place here on earth, or with each other. There is nothing to prove or to win. Perhaps you will experiment with this mantra then, reminding yourself of the wisdom passed down through the ages, “There’s nothing I have to do. There’s nothing I have to do. There’s nothing I have to do,” because Love Beyond Belief is always present and available.

As any sailboarder knows, we just have to hoist our sails to catch the winds … on the river of grace!

-Reverend Barbara Prose, January 2025