The Priestess Is In

The World’s Hunger, Our Joy

There’s an aged Presbyterian Theologian (born in 1926) who keeps popping up in my consciousness as a gift from the outside world. Despite having started out a Presbyterian, I never encountered him… not in church that I remember, not in seminary.

Part of what I like about his writing is that it’s about service. Nothing of his that I’ve encountered speaks to the rewards of belief, instead I hear about the privilege of response. The quote from today about God calling us to “the place where our deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meets” is a wonderful acknowledgement of our deep resources and equally profound responsibilities.

When we know about something, we are called to care for it. We can see what needs to be cared for because we have the gifts to respond. Oh we are mighty creations. And so we must care for world. Ah Frederick Buechner what a gift you are. I’m grateful for all the cracks your words ooze through to encourage us…

Finding Rhythm

I am not particularly good at finding rhythm and structure in my life. (unless of course, you look at life over a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long arc!) But it’s so good for our lives, to work and then to rest, perhaps even reward ourselves for our work. Building up the repetition for doing our jobs and our Work.

But we work better when we pause to refresh. And refreshment means something when we’ve worked. Intellectually, I’ve got this one nailed down. I’m not so great with the reality.

Maybe i need a timer!

Living Now

I’m sure it only annoys me when other people do this (not, for instance, when I do it!) but really what’s with whining about the weather? It is what it is. And it’s not as if most of us are one-season whiners. We whine when it’s cold, or it rains or it’s hot or it’s humid. It’s a cycle. Weather changes pretty much all the time, usually within a pattern. Now, with the global changes there are, perhaps, more fluctuations. It would be nice if our outrage about the weather moved us to outrage and changed behavior (or changed laws) about extreme-causing pollution, but mostly the weather leads to complaining, which leads to, well, nothing.

Right here and right now, life and the weather are what they are. Dress accordingly. Make plans to enjoy what the day brings us. For most, not all, of us first worlders, we can go in our houses and turn on the AC. Or we can go to the library or a mall, often in our air-conditioned cars.

It distracts us. It really is hard to focus on our dreams when we’re kvetching about the weather. I’m going to try and do better. However hot/sticky/overcast it is, I’m certainly enjoying the garden’s bounty (ok, my neighbor and my CSA’s bounty) and the fireflies. That’s should be enough to keep me working on my dreams!

 

Grace

I have all sorts of reasons about why I rarely take the time to be thankful for all the wonderful things in my life. I am. I do try and live my life aware of the wonder that’s all around us. I understand my life’s work to be working for a better world. (oh, so lofty!)

But that’s different than taking the time to just be, to notice and then to allow gratitude to come flooding in. Ever since hearing about it, I have loved the notion of the Jewish Daily Prayers of Thanksgiving, starting with I thank Thee for restoring my soul within me…

I believe that living reverently makes me more aware of the beauty and abundance of the world. Filled, I am kinder, more generous, more creativity. Would I do better if I started a daily prayer cycle? Is that what I spend next year writing? who knows!

What do you do about daily prayer and thanksgiving?

Dancing with Delight

The other evening Steve and I watched our grandson discover fireflies. He’d seen them for the first time in Steve’s garden the night before, but this evening as twilight broke we were out in the country. The lawn around the ice cream place was awash in fireflies. AJ could not believe the beauty.

And the beauty was astonishing.

But what was amazing was his unfettered delight. He was so excited, he literally ran in circles, unable to contain himself. No one could take their eyes off him. Often when a child does something cute, everyone watches and says… awwwwwww. But this wasn’t so much an awwwwwww moment as a moment that made us remember the joys of an unguarded reaction to an ecstatic experience.

Most of us would be hard pressed to dance to wonder’s rhythm. Most of watching a young boy that evening, were probably saddened by that realization. I hope some of us were also stirred open.

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The Swing

I’m going to have to think a bit more about the whole Swinging for Peace. In the meantime here’s Stevenson’s sweet old poem. As true now as in 1913.

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
River and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside–

Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown–
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down!

Robert Louis Stevenson

Summer Solstice

The sun pauses for just a moment, too lazy to move. Don’t you just know the feeling? Summer is such an odd season. It’s built for lolling about and yet it is time for hard work as well. Gotta get the fruits and vegetables in, gotta realize those dreams.

But this isn’t the season of balance. This is the work hard, play hard season. Up early to get the work done before the earth heats up. Making plans for picnics and swims once it gets too hot to think.

But both the food and the dreams need weeding and encouragement if they are to feed us for the rest of the year. Better bustle off before the bustle slows to a saunter!

It is a wonderful day, isn’t it? Make something grand of it.

Summer Vacation Guests

Part of summer’s magic is the folk who wander through your life. Maybe you’re the planned destination. Maybe you’re just on the road to somewhere else. But however it happens, there you are with beloved friends at your table, on your back patio or at a favorite nearby restaurant.

Or maybe you’re the traveler.

But the result is the same. Hearts filled with the blessings of loving relationship accompanied by great summer foods. This is the pause that refreshes!

Sweet Joy in the Summer!

Bitter Greens

Is it odd that bitter greens are packed with nutrition. So many will tell you, nah, too bitter for me… and yet they’re what do a body good.

I’m thinking there’s something to this. and you know, once you really start to eat those greens you crave the rush of green energy they deliver.

What else does that for us? What feeds our souls in the same way that greens feed our body? What gives us that jumpstart? Hmmmm…

Gonna have to think about that!

Unexpected Gifts

I married in my mid-fifties. This was really a case of the stars’ being aligned, I have to say that I’d never deeply considered marriage before. But there we were, my beloved and I, at a place where we each made sense (and magic) in one another’s lives.

Marriage is, as many of you know, an interesting journey. It’s perhaps a bit more fraught when you’re both, ahem, advancing in years and stubborn, set-in-our-way folks.

But I had decided early not to have children (I was always pretty clear about it, aside from that panicked moment about 40). Interestingly, I never dated men with children. But Steve brought to our marriage two wonderful daughters. They are both fabulous and interesting women — well, what would you expect? They have interesting partners and oh-my-goodness, children.

So, me voila, a grandmother. And all my “Grannianni doesn’t do that” protestations are met with eyerolls and “here do this”es. And so, I find myself being a boat dock in a swimming pool and playing paperdolls and reveling in the crush of young bodies being cast into my arms to slump in joy or exhaustion against me.  It’s pretty grand.

It’s perhaps made it easier for me to “pick up” a few fabulous other “kids” along the way.

Stay present! You just never know where life is going. When life offers the cup, you might as well drink deep and enjoy the gift.