I spent last weekend with a group of fellow Ministers in Dartmouth UK and the time was exquisitely sublime.  Dartmouth is a rural town in the English countryside, so we were communing with nature in all its excellence and mystery. This retreat had been planned for several months and even though I signed up for it instinctively, I had huge resistance to go as the time approached. I set up all types of road blocks to impede my ability to attend. However, each obstacle I set up was demolished by God, the universe, my angels, my ancestors who were all looking after me and knew what I needed. I had been feeling particularly stressed and depleted for a while. One of the ministers even offered to pick me up in her car and make the 5hr drive to and fro so I would be comfortable and not have to struggle with trains (bless her!).In the end we remarkable spent 5hrs talking nonstop going, and five hours talking nonstop coming back. I really don’t know how we accomplished that!

When I made the original plans to go, as I said earlier it was instinctual, a no brainer. I knew these were my people and we shared similar values and views of how we would like the world to be and our commitments individually and as a community to make the world better in our own small way were also interwoven. Most of these ministers I had not seen in several months since we were in the Seminary together, but they were people I trusted and knew being in their presence could only uplift me, elevate my spirit and feed my soul. These were my go to people as a community.

We spent three glorious days prayerful, laughing, eating wholesome food in abundance offered from the land. We shared and told stories of joy, pain, angst, sadness and hope. We picked up the ‘pieces’ of those of us who were falling apart and helped to put them back together by the end of the weekend. We had solitary time to make our own atonements with God and make re knew our vows and commitments. We did communal housework (or not!), had turns in cooking (or not!). There simply was no judgement. You were invited to come and rake what you need for your spiritual, mental, physical health. These were my GO TO PEOPLE!

Last week I spoke to one of my favourite and special go to people as I do from time to time. We have known each other for a very long time and the relationship is safe, familiar, joyful and is a friendship, relationship, sister hood that keeps giving. As we presently live on different continents (I’m hoping not for long), we don’t get to see each other often so we have to make plans to talk on the phone. Talking to her is like coming home, it is always satisfactory and it never fails to generate healing, hope fun and wisdom. She will be reading this and I think I can safely say the feeling is mutual. She is one of my GO TO PEOPLE!

When I got home from my weekend away, my gorgeous daughters had prepared a yummy meal waiting for me. I walked into the house and was received with fragrant burning candles, a lovely aroma of cuisine made with love, and warm embraces.  We sat and had catch up time of all that been happening in our individual lives over the past few days. I went to bed feeling satiated with all that was good. I had spent time with my most important GO TO PEOPLE!

So I have now been fortified and ready to get back to reality and the push and pull of everyday living. I am back to the nightmare of the American election, the uncertainties and worries for my dear country Nigeria. However I also have great faith in a higher and supreme being, I have faith in humankind in spite of all of cruelty and man’s inhumanity to man. There are people working to bring change, to bring peace, to bring equity, to make it better; that I trust the universe to align theses efforts and make the movement as big as it need to get to bring that shift. Are you part of the movement? Do you have a go to person? Are YOU a go to person?

Our search for self enlightenment is a quest that is worthy of our attention. Finding and awakening to our primal, fundamental nature, how we were truly meant to be, to find the good we were all inherently given by God.

Sometimes we just have to get out of our own way, to get rid of the clouded lens with which we look at the world, which invariably affects and impacts how we negotiate our way in the world.

I wish you a clear view, an open heart, self knowledge and all the love you can accommodate and give.