The Natural World is filled with examples of transformation.
From caterpillars to butterflies, from tadpoles to frogs, from seashells to sand, Nature’s lessons of transformation abound. At birth, our very first act when we come out of our Mother’s womb is an act of transformation. From the moment that we take our first breath, our bodies begin a lifetime of changing oxygen into carbon dioxide.
The examples of transformation are so numerous that I can only wonder about the role that transformation is meant to play in our spiritual lives. Interestingly, the first miracle that Christ was said to perform was a miracle of transformation.
(It was the story of a wedding feast when He transformed the water into wine.)
The Prayer of St. Francis powerfully speaks to me about the role that transformation can play in our daily lives. It starts with, “Lord, make me a channel of your peace, where there is hatred let me sow love” and continues to give examples of how to transform our perspective of the world around us.
“Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
Where there is sadness, joy.”
As I ponder the concept of transformation,
I can’t help but see a connection to unconditional happiness.