A "wow" day

Have you ever had one of those days?

A day when the Holy Spirit gently blows in and everything seems to connect and go well?

Today was one of those days for me.

The Holy Spirit showed up over and over again.

My morning started off with a phone conversation with a friend from 6th grade, chatting about life, concerts, and all the things. 

Then I had a delightful thirty minute conversation in Spanish over ZOOM. We meet most every week for conversational Spanish. Sometimes it is mom and two kiddos and sometimes it is mom and one kiddo and sometimes it is one kiddo. It is always fun for me, to see where the conversation goes, to allow them the space to practice the language and give me the opportunity to speak it.

After we finished our conversation, I grabbed a cup of coffee from the coffee store in whose parking lot I had been using for my "office" and then headed down the road to Brainerd UMC to meet with my District Superintendent for our yearly meetings. I arrived a few minutes early, but that wasn't a problem and we were able to get started. He had some questions for me, along with some affirmations. This was definitely Holy Spirit time and Holy ground for me. It was good to share about ministry, life, and to end in prayer. It was also good to share about Bamboo Encounter, my heart for Spanish, what Welcome Home of Chattanooga does, and talk about spiritual direction.

After this conversation I had about a half hour before my supervision call with my spiritual supervisor. I asked Google to show me the nearest parks. If it had been closer to time, I had planned to stay in the parking lot. Google showed me "Overlook Park" very nearby. I drove to it to only learn that though it was definitely a neat little park with benches, there was no parking. I ventured onward and headed down the road, going through a little town called "Ridgeside" that I had never seen before (to my recollection). I drove on through that area, all the while trying to think of a place to stop and have my supervision call. I thought about the South Chickamauga walkway off Shallowford, but remembered there was a cemetery nearby. So, off to the cemetery it was! I like cemeteries! They are fairly quiet and have very cool statues.

I drove to the very back of this cemetery and found a sunny spot for my supervision call. This was my next to last call with her. As we were on the call, I noticed two big deer running through the grass in front of me.  They were at quite a distance, but I could see them. It was a serene setting for our conversation. We talked about supervision, finishing up, going forward, life, etc.  Supervision has been a very fruitful part of the spiritual direction program and I am extremely grateful for my supervisor!

On my way out of the cemetery, I stopped to get a photo of one of the statues that caught my attention from the back. I parked the car and walked to the front of it to get a good look at it. Jesus was in the middle of several sheep and was holding one in his left arm. Appropriately, the sign beneath the statue was John 10:11 and read "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Based on the word "giveth", I am guessing this is the King James Version (KJV). To read the verse in other versions, check out this link from Bible Gateway. You can choose from MANY versions by selecting from the pull down menu on the right side. 

I went home and and enjoyed a nice lunch.

Then I headed over to Welcome Home of Chattanooga, where I volunteer once a week as a chaplain and companion. I have been there over a year now (since September 2022) and it has been such a gift to be there, to get to know the residents, staff, and volunteers. It is an amazing place that truly offers hospitality and a home to those on hospice who have no other place to go.

From Welcome Home I went to Burks UMC, the church I attend (mostly) while on voluntary family leave of absence (VFLOA) [and the church that sent me into ministry] for a spiritual direction session with a first time directee. It was a good session, from my point of view, and as always, it is such an honor to sit with someone as the Holy Spirit directs a conversation. I continue to learn and grow in my listening skills and am grateful and humbled that this is part of my journey.

Overall, today was a day of listening, sharing, being open to the Holy Spirit, receiving affirmation and encouragement.

It was a "wow" day! :)

I am grateful and humbled.

Deb

Reflections from a leaf

It's almost the end of November.

Most of the leaves have fallen off the trees, though a few remain.

We have mulched our backyard twice now and almost need to do so a third time. We prefer to mulch the leaves rather than rake them and bag them. This way there is still some leaf cover and the nutrients become part of the soil.

Leaves are fascinating to watch as they float and dance through the sky, carried by a breeze or the wind, landing who knows where.

Yesterday, a leaf caught my attention as I was checking out the RV & Boat Storage side of the businesses. This one leaf was standing straight up in the asphalt crack, moving gently in the wind.

I took a picture of the leaf and later reflected on it. I learn quite a few life lessons from nature, from creation. The leaf offered me an opportunity for an opportunity to observe, reflect, listen, and learn.

Here is what I wrote. I posted it yesterday on both my Instagram and Facebook pages. Since I haven't posted on here in a while, I thought I would share here too.

"Reflections from a leaf"

This leaf caught my attention.
It was moving in the breeze, yet stuck in the asphalt crack.
It could still move. It could still be its bright fall self, shining in the light. It even shared its reflection and some light onto the asphalt because it was holey. Holes (injuries) allowed the light to shine through it. Yet, it was still stuck. The crack in the asphalt wasn't supposed to be there. The asphalt is showing early signs of wear and tear. I know for a fact it is only three years old, at the most. How this one leaf found itself in this predicament, I do not know. I don't believe it will be stuck forever. A stronger wind will come and lift it from the hold of the asphalt. Then it will be free once again to blow and dance along on its journey. It might get more holes in it. It might even become crushed. What will become of this one leaf?

Do we ever become seemingly stuck in life?
Does it seem like there is nothing good in a situation?
I wonder if we still reflect our being and shine light through us, even in such situations...

May it be so.

(written 11/27/23)

Deb