Processing on my way home Sunday in my rolling sanctuary.... (OR, "Riding along in my automobile...")

This past Sunday was the last day of Academy #32.  After the final worship time, I had my trip home in my car ("rolling sanctuary") to process the week.  Well, to start processing the week.  I will be processing various aspects of the week for a long time to come, possibly a life time.  I have grown and changed over these past two years.... but that is not the focus of this post. (Nor is the focus the song with the lyrics that came to mind as I wrote the title of this blogpost and added: "Riding along in my automobile".  ☺

The passing of the peace was held until the end of our worship time.  Though there was quite a bit of time to go around and share the peace of Christ/«la paz» with one another, I didn't come in contact with everyone in the room.  But that's okay.   There is that sense of peace that transcends and goes out to one another, even when you're not able to say it.... even when it's the last time officially for that particular setting.

So...the worship time closes, I get my things together, and head to the car.  I spent the first 45 minutes in silence.  You might say that I played my "Quaker tape of silence" for those first 45 minutes.  I guess I owe Kathryn D. some money for her "tape". Kathryn, if you happen to see this, as they say, "check's in the mail". ☺

For the rest of the trip, I listened on and off to music in Spanish and English and had silence. 

I found it interesting the message(s) I heard in both Spanish and English from the wide variety of songs that I heard.  Normally I would include all the lyrics and a link to the song, but for this time, I'm going to only include the phrases the stood out to me.  I will translate the Spanish ones into English. 

Here goes:

• "I will trust in You alone... where you go, I'll go...I will follow you"
• "This is where the healing begins"
• "He's not finished with me yet"
• "When the path is daunting and every step exhausting"
• "scandal of grace"
• "I will live to love a world that's been broken... Power of your name... and go beyond the religion to see the world changing... to be the hands and feet"
• "From where I'm standing it's hard to see... when I'm lost in the mystery... I can't wait to see how all the pieces fit"
• "Bless the Lord, O my soul"
• "Remind me who I am again... I belong to you"
• "Here I go... sink or swim... I'm diving in, I'm going deep"
• "I will walk by faith"
• "If you want to steal my show... I'll sit back and watch you... my plans... my heart... take it away"
• "I'm not who I used to be, I am redeemed.... I'm not who I was"
• "Be still, there is a healer... you are my refuge, my strength"
• "If there is a road I should walk, God help me to find it"
• "Let my life be the proof of your love.... let my love look like you"
• «Mi vida te entrego... un gozo nuevo... pasión... tú me apasionas» ("I give my life to you.... a new joy... passion... you give me passion") [Note: I'm using "give", but there are other ways to put both these two... keeping it simple.  Example: entregar= to turn in, to turn over. «te entrego» then could be: "I turn over to you"/"I turn in to you"]
• «Bendito Jesús, mi deseo eres tú... eres mi fuente de amor» ("Blessed Jesus, my desire is you, you are my fountain of love")
• «Tengo una nueva dirección» ("I have a new direction")
• «Dios está en control» ("God is in control")

There may have been more, but this is what I noted.  The 520.6 mile trip from the Life Enrichment Center in Fruitland Park, FL to Hixson, TN took me 10 hours and 21 minutes this time.  That's quite a bit of music, along with some silence. 

Granted, this may not mean anything to anyone but myself.  But knowing the journey I have been on these past two years... and knowing the place that music has in it... Spanish and English, I know and recognize that these songs were speaking the voice of truth into me as I drove from one "home" to another on Sunday. 

The songs we sang during worship times during the week spoke to me at times and I hope to have an opportunity to reflect on that sometime in the near future too. 

Several of the songs I heard on the radio and on the Spanish CD were songs I knew and were familiar with... while others were new or less known to me.  I think if I were to examine the words that caught my attention and spoke to me most (audio divina?), I might recognize a thread of connection through them with one another and with my calling and journey. 

What words in songs speak to you? 

Blessings as you journey along and as you process and reflect upon that journey,

Debra