Surprise spiritual buddies

I pray to know when to be at my desk, when to run errands, when to take a walk.  And where. This afternoon’s trail was a paved path past scenic spillways designed to help cleanse the adjacent shipping canal.  Several such aeration parks along the canal are achieving their goals.  But that’s another story.

New walking buddy

Hearing footsteps, I turned to see a cheery woman matching my pace.  We introduced ourselves.  We connected very quickly, and Janet (not her real name) shared her story.
 
A recovering alcoholic, Janet is active in AA, and wants a career helping others find their freedom from addiction.  She came from a long line of alcoholics.  At fourteen she dropped out of school, self-taught herself after that, and worked at a good job until alcoholism took over.

“For an addict,” she says, “It’s all about me.  What I want, when I want it.”  She had to learn patience, and she had to find God.

When she was at rock bottom, Janet decided to pray.  Her prayer, she chuckles, was more of an ultimatum, because she didn’t know if there even was a God.   “OK, God,” she said.  “I’ll try AA for three months.  I’ll do everything they want.  If that doesn’t work, I’m gone.”   AA connected her with a sponsor, and she made another pact with God.  “OK, God,” she said.  “I’ll give this relationship six months.  If it doesn’t work, I’m gone.”

During this period she socialized with new friends and discovered she actually had fun being sober.  She realized she was a worthwhile person, that people liked her for who she was.  That there really is life after addiction.  And it’s genuine.

Her 20-year old son, also a recovering alcoholic, began attending AA.  He enrolled at the community college where he lives.  Janet enrolled at her Community College.  This woman, who doubted she had the intelligence to succeed, maintains a straight A average.  Now Janet knows she has a purpose.

She was delighted to learn that I am into spiritual healing. I explained briefly that I help people through prayer to discover their oneness with a loving God.  

“How exciting is that!  I just love God so much!" she said.  I can see why!  We hope to walk together again.

I thank God for enriching my life with surprise spiritual buddies.

What can we trust?

Jesus said, "This is why you get sick and die:  Because you love what deceives you.  Anyone who thinks should consider these matters."  The Gospel of Mary, by Karen L. King

Sounds like if we trust what deceives us, we're headed for trouble.  We see that plot in novels and movies all the time -- a person with good intentions trusts someone with not so good intentions, and the story develops from there.

So what do you trust?  What have you found to lean on that won't deceive you?

Tough love and angels

Boys sledding on President's Day

Thursday was my day for Grandma duty.  As he got out of school, the 12-year old called me at his house where I was fixing dinner. 

“Grandma, can I hang out with Parker?” 

“What does ‘hang out’ mean?”

“You know, just hang out.”

“I need to know where you will be.  ‘Just hang out’ isn’t good enough.  Invite Parker here.”

Silence.  Finally, “All right.  I’ll come home.”

Three minutes later another phone call.  “Grandma, can I go to Parker’s house?”

“Is Parker’s mom there?”

“No, but his brother is.”

“I need an adult I can talk to there.  Invite Parker to come home with you.”

Silence.  Finally, “All right, I’ll come home.”

He came home shortly.  “I have no friends,” he informed me accusingly.  “All the other boys are going over to Parker’s.”  He was not in a mood to listen to anything, so I was quiet.

His younger brother was shooting hoops in the driveway with some buddies.  Today hoops didn’t appeal.  Picking up a baseball and a mitt, he asked, “Can I go across the street to the park?”

“Sure.”  He crossed the street and I watched out a window as he slammed the ball into the soft earth at his feet, repeatedly.  Clearly some prayer was needed.  Turning away, I reached out to our dear Father-Mother.  “What do you know about this boy right now?”  The answer that came was, “He has his own angels.” 

Of course!  I didn’t have to sort all this out.  God was already being God, already communicating to every one of Her children.  Telling each one of their worth, their purpose, showing Her love in tangible ways.  I prayed for some minutes until I could rest in the assurance of the angels, God’s very own thoughts, doing their communicating.

My grandson walked in the door just as dinner was ready.  “I found someone to play with,” he said in a pleased tone.  “He was a third grader, but that was OK.”  He stopped short of saying he'd had fun.

“Oh thank you, dear Mother-Father God!” quietly and to myself.

There’s more.  The other grandma, who was with the boys the following day, and was aware of Thursday's events, added this.

“After school I asked him if he wanted to invite Parker over.  He said, ‘Parker’s grounded.  He had all these boys over yesterday, and he wasn’t supposed to.’ “

Sweet!  Apparently Parker and his parents have their angels as well.

Diversities of gifts

Have you ever felt you weren't quite getting it? Maybe everybody else around you is in sync, and that makes it worse.

It's all right. Each of us is unique. God has given each of us has different talents. Not everyone is meant to be a teacher or an auto mechanic or an accountant or a baker. We are each meant to find what we're good at doing, and to delight in doing it well.

I'm sure this little girl will get her talents figured out too. I love the kindness of her teacher. "It's OK," she says, "if you shoes aren't doing it (the first position in ballet class)."

"There is a variety of gifts, but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them."

(I Corinthians 12:4-6. Jerusalem Bible)

Scout traditions

Our Webelos Cub Scout became a Boy Scout yesterday.  Each advancing Cub listened to good character-building advice in the Arrow of Light ceremony preceding the crossover.   Seven qualities were highlighted:

• Wisdom

• Courage

• Self-control
• 
Justice
• 
Faith

• Hope
• 
Love

A thoughtful explanation followed each quality  For example, Self-control.  “Self-control isn’t limited to the control of one’s temper, but control of one’s self in all things - emotional, mental, and physical.”

Finally, behind each of the dozen Cubs stood a welcoming Boy Scout.  Each older Scout took a new red and black neckerchief and arranged it around the neck of the Scout he was welcoming. 

New Boy Scouts get their new neckerchiefs

Afterward families enjoyed a lovely catered banquet.  But the former Cubs disappeared as they went off to eat with their buddies.  The older Boy Scouts ate with their buddies.  So the parents ate together, discovering (together) another stage of letting go.

Having a "yes" face

This came into my in-box the other day.  There was no source indicated, so it's hard to know whether it's true.  But the moral makes it worth repeating.  Here's the story:

During his term as president, Thomas Jefferson and a group of companions were traveling across the country on horseback. 

They came to a river that had overflowed its banks because of a recent downpour.  The swollen river had already washed the bridge away. Each rider was forced to ford the river on horseback fighting against the swirling currents.  The very real possibility of death threatened each rider, which caused a traveler who was not a part of their group to step aside and watch.  

After several had plunged in and with much difficulty,  barely made it to the other side, the stranger asked President Jefferson if he would ferry him across the river.  The president agreed without hesitation.  The man climbed up behind Jefferson, and shortly thereafter the two of them made it safely to the opposite shore.  After the stranger slid to the ground, one in the group asked him, “Tell me, why did you select the President to take you across?”
 

The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the President who had helped him. He responded simply, “All I know is that on some of their faces was written the word 'No,' and on some of them 'Yes.' His was a 'YES' face."

So what does a "yes" face look like?  Perhaps it's kind, caring.  Perhaps it isn't all wrapped up in itself.  Maybe the body language of a "yes" face says, "How can I help you?"  

Another approach might be that a "yes" face is one that says Yes to God's goodness; yes to Her presence; yes to Her comfort; yes to Her caring.

I'm looking forward to identifying what and who I'm saying "yes" to today!

Stand by me - worldwide

This video has been making the rounds again.  A clever sound engineer shares his vision and message for unity for the human race.

"Stand by me" reminds us that we are not alone, that no man is an island.  That mankind can stand together and go forward shoulder to shoulder.

"Stand by me" holds even more promise.  It can also serve as a reminder that God, Truth, that higher power, does stand by us.  He/She made us, loves us, delights in us -- and stands behind the quality of His/Her creation.  

She (my favorite sense of Creator)  intends for us to discover our own humanity and get it right.


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Where God shines through

Decades ago, a friend taught me this little poem.  It's a gentle reminder of purpose; how to get self out of the way; how to go forward when we're not sure.  Letting God shine his love through us is always progress.

I am the place where God shines through,

For He and I are one, not two.

I need not fret, or fear, nor plan.

He wants me where and as I am.

And if I'll be relaxed and free,

He will express Himself through me.

This little girl wasn't expecting any Christmas gifts.

A story of healing

I'm learning that you can't outline how healing comes to people. Here's one man's unique story.

It was a cool, drab February morning, just warm enough for the snow to begin melting. As I walked the indoor track at the Park District field house, a smiling man dropped his jacket on the bleachers. We introduced ourselves by first names and shook hands, and headed off on the circuit together.

Bill asked what I did. I replied, “I do spiritual healing.”
“Oh,” he said, “I believe in that.”
“Tell me more,” I encouraged him.
He eyed me cautiously, “I found Jesus.”
“I’d like to hear about that.”
Reassured, Bill smiled. This was clearly a story he enjoyed telling. And one that moved me deeply to hear. Deeply.

“Around 2000,” he began, “There was a large Mary sculpture that was going around the country on a flat bed truck.”
“Yes I remember seeing it.” While it held no emotional meaning for me, we had taken some out-of-town Catholic friends to see work of religious art in a nearby church parking lot.

Bill and his wife were in the Catholic church till about 1967. “Then I got mad about something and walked out. We went to other churches, and for about 10 years we were Methodists. That’s where I learned about the Holy Spirit. And I’m so grateful.”

Later one day at work, Bill threw a coffee cup at a colleague. Fortunately it missed her, but he had to ask himself at that point, “What am I doing?” He asked a buddy to sign him out, and he went home for the day. His buddy called Bill’s wife to give her a heads up. “Something’s wrong with Bill. He just walked off the job, and he’s on his way home.”

His wife set up an appointment for him to see, in his words, a shrink.

Before that appointment, this Mary sculpture was in the area. They were driving, and his wife asked Bill if he’s like to see it, and he said No. They turned into the parking lot, though, and she asked if he’d like to get out and take a closer look, and he said No.
Father Paul, a hands-on healer, was there, and she asked if he’d like to talk to Father Paul, and Bill said No.
Yet he found himself talking to Father Paul who asked, “How can I help you?”
Bill said, “I don’t know. I’m very angry, and I don’t know why.”

He talked and talked and talked. Father Paul put his hand on Bill’s head and prayed. As he was praying, a storm came up - wind blowing the folding chairs around, and lightning, so intense that Bill couldn’t hear the prayer. Finally the storm quit and there was peace. He felt as though a burden had been lifted.
His wife asked, “Are you OK?
“Yes,” Bill nodded. “I think I can sleep tonight.” then he added, “Wasn’t that the strangest storm!”
His wife looked at him. “Storm? Bill, there was no storm.” Bill realized it had been his own personal turmoil raging within him. No one else saw a storm.

About a week later his wife asked Bill when he had last suffered a migraine headache. These had plagued him from childhood and, though he had tried many medications over the years, nothing had helped. He realized there had been no headaches since Father Paul had prayed for him. In addition, all the anger was gone. They canceled the doctor’s appointment.

Bill went back to work and though nothing had changed, he wasn’t upset by his work environment anymore. No more Mr. Crabby.

He had never read the Bible. But his daughter, an Evangelical Christian, gave him one after this experience. Several months later he read about the Day of Pentecost. In great excitement Bill came running to his wife, “You have to read this! This is me!” He was thrilled by the description of the Holy Spirit as a rushing, mighty wind.

He and his wife returned to the Catholic church because, as she said of Bill’s transformation, “This is real. This is real.”

His story lasted about 30 minutes. We put our jackets on and left the field house together still talking. We hugged in the parking lot. “God is good,” he said as we parted. “Yes,” I agreed, He sure is.”

Who is today really about?

Ever have a day when nothing's going your way?  Maybe there's another perspective. 

Maybe life isn't all about "me"?