Entering the Divine Flow Part 4

October 9, 2026

On this still, hot, and humid day, I trudged over the dunes to the open beach with the dogs. It was one of those rare times when the Gulf of Mexico was perfectly placid. At the water’s edge, miniature waves lapped against the shore as though the Gulf was a lake.

Only a few people were on the wide beach—a family several hundred feet away beneath a colorful canopy, and, in the other direction, a lone woman sitting on a towel near the water’s edge, quietly gazing toward the horizon. The dogs and I stood in the water which cooled our feet. Then, all of a sudden…the wind picked up.

Chilly currents swept across the water and washed over us. I thought to myself: this mingling of hot and cold air is what creates hurricanes. Then a slate-gray bank of clouds along the horizon rapidly grew larger and closer. In a flash, it overtook the blue sky.

Heavy clouds, swollen with rain, covered the beaming sun. The whistling wind transformed the lake back into an ocean, complete with whitecaps and rolling waves. The family hurriedly dismantled their canopy and scurried back toward their house. But the lone woman remained seated on her towel, her hair blowing in every direction. She continued looking outward. She never moved.

I stood on the beach, taking in the scene with my two four-footed companions. Then, before the rain arrived, we meandered back to the cottage.

What could all of this mean? I asked myself.

The I Ching, the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, teaches us to pay close attention to the movements of life and nature. It is based on the ancient wisdom that nature— reflect something within our inner world as well as something unfolding in our families, communities, and culture.

Before long, the wind died down, the sun reappeared, and the humidity returned us to its oven.

I mulled over the I Ching's wisdom throughout the day. Gradually, it dawned on me about what the day’s sudden storm may have evoked in me: we all respond differently to change. Some retreat quickly. Some hold tight and keep their eyes fixed on the horizon. Others, like the dogs and me, simply stand in awe of it all.

That phrase—to stand in awe—captures something essential. Since childhood, I have been awed by so many experiences. Some have terrified me. Some have amazed me. Others have utterly enchanted me. If there is one stance toward life for me that depicts being in the divine flow, it is standing in awe—standing somewhere between enchantment and amazement.

I believe that underneath the stories of our lives, is a deeper story—God’s story. It always unfolding beneath appearances. When we leave life unexamined by default, we naturally interpret it through the ego’s beliefs, fears, and expectations. But when we look beneath the surface and let what is happening speak to our soul, we begin to glimpse the larger story—and recognize that we are part of it.

This larger story is filled with wisdom, guidance, mystery, and awe-inspiring occurrences. And yes, it also contains the terrible. The essential question is: How will we respond to what life brings?

I have come to believe that a soul tethered to the Divine responds differently from a soul untethered to the Divine. The ego reacts from fear, grasping for control or rushing to escape. The soul pauses. It listens. It stays open to what the moment may reveal.

To enter the divine flow means looking behind appearances into the vaster meanings that lie underneath. It means that, even as the winds rise and the familiar world suddenly changes, something within us remains tethered to the Holy, and if we are conscious of that connection, we look for what is being revealed.  We may retreat. We may watch the horizon. We may simply stand in awe. What is ours to do is to find the meaning behind what happens so that we may respond from our soul.   

I wondered what kept the woman out there in the rain even when the winds picked up and the sun hid behind the heavy clouds. Whatever it was, it must have kept her attention… possibly she too was in her own divine flow, and for her, the storm was seamlessly part of it all.

Spiritual Practice

Pick up a copy of the I Ching and give yourself a chance to see if its interpretation of life through the natural world may be something you want to learn more about. 

Inquiry

What inspires you to find meaning in happenings? 

Prayer

Dear God, For the enchantment and awe of this world, I am amazed and thankful. I pray that my responses come from my soul so that what You reveal becomes part of me.

Amen