Wise men and women say that after each fall, there is a rising. A resurrection occurs if we choose it. I Rise,they say. And this is true. 
 
I Rise, however, has a companion. A friend who walks alongside Rising to make it so. That friend is called I Deepen. 
 
After each wound, hurt, betrayal or loss, I Deepeninvites us to go into our grave of mourning, into the womb of inner solitude, into the empty tomb where we sometimes do not wish to go but must if we are to rise.  
 
Deepeninvites us to quiet the chatter around us and to move to the heart-space to find solace and wisdom. Deepencalls us to the inner journey.
 
Once we arrive at our interior cave, Deepenholds the loss safely for us. It cares for our wounds with tenderness. It befriends the gash, allowing it to bleed. It gives us the freedom to cry and wail so the power of tears might cleanse and heal us. 
 
Deepennourishes our hearts so they don’t harden. It reminds us we’re safe, and while we may be bent by life’s gusts, we can dig our roots deeper into the ground of truth—and know we are not broken.  
 
As we grieve, in whatever time and space is necessary, eventually the dark night of our soul catches a flicker of light, and a small opening of hope arises. Then, I Deepenasks us to unlock the shuttered door of our hearts with questions such as these:
 
What do you wish to teach me? How am I being invited to grow?How can this pain hold wisdom? And if it does, let it speak now. 
As we hold our questions and ponder, our hearts open to life’s wisdom. There, our sacred companions—I Deepen and I Rise—embrace and become One. 
 
The passion, death, and resurrection of Christ reveals this intrinsic pattern of falling, deepening, and rising again—a path we’re invited to embody so we can grow. 
 
Life will sometimes cut us down at the knees. When that happens, we can remain stuck in the pain and turmoil, lost in our angry tombs, or we can see life’s hardships as our teacher. We can Rise. We can Deepen.
 
 
—brian j plachta
brianplachta.net