Why doodling? I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t tried…

Years ago, in an attempt to stay put in one place, focused on one task, I sat down with a clipboard, a piece of paper, and an ink pen. I picked a phrase to meditate on. ‘The joy of the Lord is my strength.’ Joy was the last conscience thing on my mind then. I was struggling with deep exhaustion, the kind that left me empty.

With a shaky hand, I began doodling. My mind began to wander through the ins and outs of that phrase, into depths I had never had the patience to explore before. I found myself outlining my hands so they looked like they were clapping joyfully and I doodled all around this, filling every space.

Slowly, truth about joy began oozing like warm honey into conscious spaces as I acknowledged them. I found myself sinking into it, exploring it from different angles. Savoring it. Taking time to ponder. Making room for understanding. That joy isn’t influenced by external circumstances, I had always known. But this was coming alive for me in an entirely new way.

My spirit soared transcending every physical limitation. In the presence of my Maker, I glimpsed the eternal being I was created to be, if only for a moment, leading to a lasting shift in perspective and attitude. Peace in embracing the season I was in. Acknowledgement of where the boundaries lay. Contentment. Faith in the One I live for. All aspects of joy deep within.

~shini abraham, ©2014, duco divina – contemplative doodling