Clematis: You Are Not Here to Be Used | A Devotional Life in a Broken World
In this third episode of A Devotional Life in a Broken World, I spend time with Clematis, a plant that offers no herbal medicine, no harvest, and no practical utility but simply climbs toward the light and offers its beauty freely.
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Watching Clematis has made me wonder how often I measure my own life by productivity, usefulness, or visible outcomes. What would it mean to pray, to rest, to read, to create, or to simply be present without needing those moments to produce something in return?
Together in this episode, we explore devotion that asks for no audience and expects no reward. Inspired by the writings of Clarissa Pinkola Estés, this episode reflects on beauty that continues to bloom even when it is unseen and the quiet courage of offering ourselves fully to something larger than our own ambitions.
I also share one of my own devotional practices: making small pilgrimages to places that help me remember my place in the world so I can simply arrive and offer something small to a mothering force that feeds me so much.
If you've been feeling exhausted by the pressure to always produce, perhaps Clematis has something to offer you as well.
In this episode we explore:
• Clematis as a teacher of beauty for beauty's sake
• Devotion beyond productivity and measurable outcomes
• Prayer, contemplation, and sacred rest
• The spiritual practice of pilgrimage
• Living without the need for an audience or recognition
• Two things can be true: Living a devotional life AND being a social activist
Reflection Questions
• What in your life is asking to be tended without any promise of return?
• Have you been measuring your devotion by its productivity?
• What does true rest feel like in your body?
• Is there a place you could visit regularly simply to become small and present?
Thank you for joining me in this ongoing inquiry into what it means to live a devotional life in a broken world!
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A live gathering for plant spirit support in changing times. Each session includes a check‑in, a short reading, and simple practices with medicinal herbs that support stress, depletion, and emotional overwhelm. We draw plant spirit cards for symbolic guidance. This is a calm, supportive space to settle, listen, and be held by plants and shared wisdom. Come as you are—quietly listen, participate in the chat, or simply rest in the hour.
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