If you knew the end of your story,
nothing on any page -
not one of your dramas,
could bother you as much.
If you knew of the glorious end of your journey,
at least half of your attention could be lifted
from anything you now focus on that may cause you pain.
His hand is like that, when it is realized near,
it will always, always
turn your gaze
in the direction of more light.
— Hafiz
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My husband and I moved to Santa Barbara four years ago. We’d just returned to the US from an extended sabbatical traveling around 13 countries, and we came to town not knowing a single other human here. We had a short term sublet for two months and one suitcase each. It was a time of tremendous uncertainty. Would we stay? If so, where would we live longer term? What would I start doing for work?
With so many looming questions, I started a simple practice. I wrote down my prayers, hopes, and dreams and placed them into a jar, and then I closed it. It helped me release into the unknown and remember that I’m being held by a larger guiding force. I’m not sure exactly where I heard of this idea, but it’s the art of making a “God Jar.”
The years went by, and I more or less forgot about the God Jar. But after I was laid off a few weeks ago, I did a ceremony with a friend on the beach where I wrote down all I’m calling in now, each on a different small strip of paper. And when I got home, I remembered about the jar.
Here’s the wild part. Before I added the new prayers in, I opened up the jar again to see what I had put in there all those years ago. And I was so comforted to realize that all of my prayers had come true. Every. Single. One. Sometimes not in the way I had expected, and not always through a direct path. But with the privileged perspective of time, I saw how they had all come to fruition.
The kicker is that most of the prayers I asked for four years ago are the exact same things I’m calling in again in this season: allowing the aligned right work to flow to me, trusting we’ll live where we’re meant to and find our next beautiful home, being present with the miracles right in front of me in the present even as I figure out the future. Remembering that I’ve ushered in these things before reminds me that I’m capable of doing it again, even if the stakes feel bigger this time as a parent.
Here are some questions for reflection to help you start your own God Jar.
This is a lovely way to honor the transition to the New Year. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or keep them in the privacy of your own heart.
What am I calling in now?
What are the areas of my life where could I use some extra support or guidance?
What are my hopes and dreams for the next chapter ahead?
I like this , reminds me of the yearly goal exercises and sheets we did when you were growing up