Dear fellow pilgrim, The air is thick with smog outside. The north is burning. And we feel it. Our daughter came home this morning crying. Prairie & Woods Camp was canceled. And they sent the kids back home. Her little heart was broken. Instead of crawling through the bushes looking for insects we closed the windows and camped inside. Life is like this sometimes. Plans get canceled. We are stuck inside. Overwhelmed by the little things. Overwhelmed by the big things. And though we know that our little worries are nothing compared to the vastness of the universe, the forest fires raging, the world burning, our heart aches. Do you remember the sparrow? I was just reminded of her.
Look at the birds of the air, Jesus says. They neither reap nor store, yet our heavenly creator cares for each of them. “Be not afraid,” I hear the universe humming into my pounding heart. “I see you,” I hear the One who cares for the sparrow whisper into my ear. You are loved. You are whole. Here, in the vastness of it all, and in the smallness of it all, I am here. Here with you. I will care for you. So, dear one, if you have felt some overwhelm these days, from the state of this world, the burning fires, or just from trying to care, here is your reminder.
Let’s look at the birds, and learn from the trees. Let’s slow down and breathe. Allow yourself to be cared for. The Holy One is still here. Here with you. Beside you. Before you. Behind you. Within you. In every breath you take Life is still breathing still longing still hoping still bringing you home. Peace to you, dear One, the peace of the One who cares for the sparrow the peace of the One who shines in the waters and greens in the trees the peace of the One holding you and your pounding heart like a mother holding her child. Peace to you. With great love, Almut PS: Which word or line or encounter has moved your heart today? Thank you for reading, sharing and supporting Cloister Notes, a letter for dancing monks, weary pilgrims and wounded healers. If you have been moved by today’s words, please consider becoming a sustaining member to support this labor of love and keep the words coming. 🙏
More Readings from The Cloister
You can share this letter by simply forwarding this email, by sharing it on your social networks, or if you are a substacker, by restacking it. Thank you. About Cloister NotesA letter for dancing monks and weary pilgrims at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. Contemplations on being human to deepen your path, nourish your heart, and build wisdom within. About The Weary Pilgrim Dr. Almut Furchert is a German-American psychologist turned philosopher turned writer, traveler, photographer, retreat leader, and mother of a first grader. Her work engages with voices like Kierkegaard, Buber, Frankl, Yalom, Edith Stein, Bonhoeffer, and Hildegard of Bingen. A Benedictine Oblate, she lives with her husband Chuck Huff and young daughter in a small college town in the American Midwest.
© 2026 Almut Furchert
|
