Rabbit Wisdom

For some reason this made me laugh out loud today and has stayed with me most of the afternoon. It seemed so simple and profound all at once. I'd love to know what you think.

"Hallo, Rabbit," Pooh said, "is that you?"

"Let's pretend it isn't," said Rabbit, "and see what happens."

Peregrinatio

“I’m only lost if I’m going someplace in particular.” Megan Scribner

On a recent night as I lay awake in bed, a gentle stirring suggested I attempt to finally complete Thomas Merton’s, The Seven Storey Mountain. I say “finally” because it has not been an easy read for me. As I was walking the next morning, I thought about Merton and my interaction with his autobiography and realized that is how his journey to the Trappist monastery was—it was not easy. One of the beautiful things about Merton was his ongoing willingness to follow God’s promptings even when he did not necessarily consider himself a follower.

One of the final quotes that resonated with me (and there were many) appeared in the epilogue.

“In one sense we are always traveling, and traveling as if we did not know where we were going.
In another sense we have already arrived.
We cannot arrive at the perfect possession of God in this life, and that is why we are traveling and in darkness. But we already possess Him by grace, and therefore in that sense we have arrived and are dwelling in the light.”

The words ‘already’ and ‘not yet’ come to mind as I read this passage. The yin and the yang. Dark and light. I am reminded of a tapestry that is continually woven with the changing of texture and colors. It may not yet be finished, but it already tells a story. We are fully in Christ and we are nowhere near Him. The both/and. Already and not yet. We are on a pilgrimage with no specific end in mind for we cannot comprehend what the “end” will be like. AND, there is a deep knowing in our soul that speaks to the end even in the present moment.

In Praying with the Elements, Christine Paintner writes of the term: Peregrinatio. (Personally, I just love the sound of the word!) It refers to a journey initiated by an inner prompting, going where the Spirit leads to seek the place of your resurrection. Peregrinatio seems like the most apt word for Merton’s journey.

As I sit on my porch writing, I wonder about my life and how open I am to be on a journey without a specific destination in mind. It seems to be those moments that are the least planned that lead to the greatest surprise and joy. When I think of jumping into the lake with my young charges, I think of peregrinatio. It was not planned yet it felt like baptism. It was holy. It was resurrection.

I pray that I will be open to the subtle promptings in my life this day and every day to follow. Where are you being asked to step into Peregrinatio—the journey with no specific end or goal in mind? Where are you being asked to trust the mystery of life and experience the beauty and wildness of the unknown?

photos by geezer dude

Young at Heart

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.” -- Mark Twain

Who says you can’t be young again? Saturday, following my sister-in-law’s wedding, I was able to do just that thanks to my two young nephews, Will and Wyatt (ages 9 & 7) and my sweet little cousin, Graham (7).

After attending a fabulous reception at Sparrow in Denver, the large extended family headed out to our Uncle Tom and Aunt Katie’s house on a small private lake. (They were the original tomkat long before Cruise and Holmes). With brothers, sisters, cousins and parents enjoying the scene, much laughter and camaraderie ensued and a good time was had by all.

My favorite part of the day (other than the wedding, of course) came when Graham asked if I would like to go for a paddleboat ride. His sweet voice and big blue eyes were persuasion enough, and it was a glorious day, so I jumped at the opportunity. Soon, Will and Wyatt decided they should come along too. Three of us struck out in the paddleboat while the fourth followed in a rubber rowboat. Our destination was the floating trampoline near the center of the small lake.

Once we arrived at our target, we tied up and all clambered onto the trampoline. “What now?” I asked.
“Huh?,” they responded puzzled.
“This is IT?” I said somewhat dismayed for I was anticipating a greater adventure than sitting on a trampoline.
“Well, we could jump in the lake.” One of them said tentatively.
“Sounds good to me.”
They wondered if I was bluffing. “We’ll go if you go first.”
And that was all I needed. I gave a hearty “O.K.!”, stood up and dove into the lake--clothes, jewelry, contact lens and all.

I’m not sure which was more delightful—the feeling of freedom as the cool water lapped around me or the surprised looks on the faces of the three little boys. Very soon, however, I was no longer alone as Will and Graham followed my lead.

On the shore, rumors were stirring. Someone thought I had been pushed in. Another thought I lost my balance and fell. Rescue plans and worried parents headed toward the shore. My husband zoomed in with his giant camera and quickly realized that all was well with the world. His wife was gaily laughing as she played in the water like a child.

There’s nothing like a spontaneous and joyful move by an adult to stir the curiosity of children. For just a moment in time, we were all the same age, laughing and playing in the water without a care for the world of adults. It was pure heaven. Who says you can’t be young again? Try it some time; it might just add years to your life.

photo by bill

Wedding Joy

This Labor Day weekend, I had the privilege and honor of witnessing my beautiful sister-in-law's wedding. If you are a praying person, I hope you will share your blessings and prayers for this lovely couple's future together.

Soft violin and guitar music waft through the late morning air—gentle strains of classical music with just a hint of folk performed flawlessly by the two cousins. Natural beauty and talent merge in the midst of the beautiful garden setting. Sounds of family and loved ones gathering fill the air: children laughing, a newborn crying, grandparents marveling at the sight of their offspring.

The day is sunny and warm. Summer is waning, but fall has not quite arrived. The wedding goers in their finery cross paths briefly with the tourists clad in shorts and tennis shoes as they enter the botanic gardens. It is a beautifully amazing day but none is prepared for the absolute stunning brilliance of the bride herself.

She is radiant and glowing. I am not sure there has ever been a bride more lovely. She is a woman of confidence and surety. She has waited a lifetime for this moment. The day has been planned with care and perfection for there is no doubt in her mind that this is where and with who she wants to be. There is no hesitation as she enters the garden on the arm of her father.

Breathtaking is the only appropriate word. There seems to be an audible sense of awe as she walks down the short stone pathway toward her groom. He is the handsome equal to her glowing beauty. All eyes are on them.

The female minister, a cousin to the bride, reminds us of what we already know, this is a day that has been thought through with great love and care. We are asked to take a moment and be present to our surroundings; to be witnesses and participants of this joyous and solemn occasion.

As the vows are exchanged, the groom’s voice catches as he speaks to his bride of her beauty and his love and honor for her. There is not a dry eye in the party and all can sense this is a moment that has been ordained by God. Sanctity and beauty resonate throughout the gardens.

Following the vows, the new family is united and honored—bride, groom and grown daughter of the bride. The maid of honor is standing tall and beautiful beside her mother. For me, she is eternally three—a little girl with flowers in her hair. But in this moment, she is a grown woman rejoicing that her mother has finally found the happiness she so richly deserves.

The new family takes communion as the witnesses pray blessings for their future. The earth seems to rejoice along with them. The clouds have offered a bit of shade from the midday sun. The grass gleams greenly around us. A slight breeze blows. God has consecrated this union. Softly, the violin and guitar usher the newlyweds into the beginning of their life together.

9/1/07

sanctuary of the soul

"Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home into Itself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely to the Light within, is the beginning of true life. It is a dynamic center, creative Life that presses to birth within us." Thomas Kelly -- A Testament of Devotion

photo by bill