Growing in wisdom...

"For I resolved to live according to wisdom, and I was zealous for the good, and I was never disappointed."
Ecclesiasticus 51:18-19

Pray-As-You-Go asked, "What has helped you grow in wisdom?" Isn't that a wonderful question as we begin a new year? I thought about it and realized it has been experience that has given me any glimpse of wisdom I've gleaned. And it fleeting--as fleeting as the gorgeous sunrise this morning. It was there one minute (and I snapped a picture below) and gone the  next. I certainly desire wisdom, just like the writer of today's reading, "I sought wisdom openly in my prayer," (v. 13). In verse 16, "I inclined my ear a little and received...much instruction." I find that I can incline my ear easier when silent, so I spent a couple days this week unplugged. I prayed, walked, read, had fires in the fireplace, all in silence. So listening to the silence also can help me grow in wisdom. Glimpses of wisdom are fleeting and wisdom instructs us very quietly. We need to keep our eyes open and take the time to lean in and listen...
Blessings on your new year! Love, heidi

The angel departed...

"Then the angel departed from her..."
Luke 1:38

And there we have it. Today's Gospel ends with one of the most powerful verses in scripture, I think. Gabriel visits Mary, announcing that she has found favor with God. She is to be the mother of the Savior, the Messiah foretold to the Jewish people for centuries, the fulfillment of God's promise. She responds with both innocence and wisdom: "How can this be?" "Be it done unto me according to your word." And, then, the angel departed from her. It reminds me of watching "The Wizard of Oz" as a little girl and being so frustrated when Glenda, the Good Witch, comes and greets Dorothy. She tells Dorothy how she can go to Oz to see the Great Wizard, but then Glenda floats away in a big bubble, leaving Dorothy, on her own, to start a seemingly perilous journey to Oz. Really? Why couldn't Glenda hang out with Dorothy a little longer? Why couldn't Gabriel stay with Mary from that moment all through labor and delivery? Well, in Gabriel's defense, he was just the messenger. God was with Mary through it all, and certainly, the Christ was with Mary all through it all. But it just seems we need a more tangible, physical presence, especially when the going gets rough. And that's where Elizabeth and Zechariah and Joseph and all the people we don't hear  as much about come into the story. The innkeeper, the stable boy, the helpers who never even get a mention in the story--it is through them that God works just like in our lives. It is through God's people that God works--miracles. On this side of the Gospel, God was so present in all who were praying and there to help ease Denise's passing yesterday. Because that is where God always is--present in the presence of God's people. Thank you for your prayers and much love, heidi

The trickiest time of the year...

"There is a light in us that only darkness itself can illuminate. It is the glowing calm that comes over us when we finally surrender to the ultimate truth of creation: that there is a God and we are not it..." 
Sr. Joan Chittister, as quoted in Richard Rohr Daily Meditation, 12/4/19

I got in and turned on my car. The familiar strains of "It's the most wonderful time of the year," poured forth. Twenty minutes earlier I would have joined in with the radio. But, after hearing terribly difficult news, the song was unbearable. I'd just learned that Chris' wife Denise's cancer had returned with a vengeance and nothing more could be done. Just like that. It's not the most wonderful time of the year anymore. We often hear about the holidays being difficult for people, but the emphasis still seems to be on the charity shown, the hope shared, the new dawn rising. But what if the new dawn doesn't feel like it's rising? What then? I think, at these times, we're called to look harder for God, who is always with us. God comforts us through our gathering with each other. God reaches us through strangers who treat us with kindness. Ever present and eager to touch us tenderly, God sends others who give us the hugs God wants us to feel. Let's be mindful of those who struggle this time of year. Pain, loss and suffering can be magnified when others are merry and we all need to try to be aware and understanding.  Also, as Sr. Joan says in this quote above, we may find in ourselves a light that we never recognized before the darkness approached. That light is God always residing within us. And finally, let us look deep and wide to see God present in the people and community surrounding us as they lift us up. Oh, and thank you for praying for Chris and Denise and all who are traveling to be with them.  Love, heidi

Every word is true...

"Do not be afraid, every word is true.
From the moment I believed, I've always carried you...
To a world in need of a Love that's true,
From the moment I believed, I've always carried you."
Matt Maher, "Always Carried You," from the album The Advent of Christmas

If you like to delay the Christmas carols until closer to Christmas, this is a beautiful Advent song, featuring Amy Grant singing with Matt Maher (link below). It strikes one of the most powerful images of young Mary, hearing the angel foretell that she will carry the Savior and then (I think) the most powerful line in the scripture from Luke, "Then, the angel left her." (Luke 1:38) The angel left this young girl with this tremendous news! What did she think? This song presents a beautiful portrayal of Mary reminding herself not to be afraid, that God is true and that the world needs this gift she is carrying. I can also picture Mary, gently caressing her swelling belly, reassuring her unborn babe, "Do not be afraid, every word is true." I invite you to listen and pray with the voice of this young girl, reminding herself, and her babe, of God's faithfulness and that God is carrying both of them. Love, heidi

Always Carried You

A little child...

..."and a little child shall lead them."
Isaiah 11:6

Yesterday, Pastor Gretchen had a wonderful sermon titled, "A child shall lead them" (link to the video below). It was rich and thought-provoking and led me to think of the little kids I work with at school and how they teach and lead me each day. Some of the lessons are hard! I'm humbled by how I often fall short of how I'd like to be with them. I know I can certainly do better at loving them some days! The hardest ones are the ones who probably need our love the most. That's a valuable lesson and leading right there! We have two weeks of school left  before our long winter's nap. I want to pay as close attention as possible to the lessons and leadings these kids offer me. And God, who led me to the school to work in the first place, is my Mighty Champion, helping me every step of the way.
I invite you to listen to the sermon and ponder what children in your own life are leading you closer to God? God came to us in human form as a newborn baby, giving us flawless meaning to the phrase, "and a little child shall lead them." Love, heidi
A child shall lead them

Dying before we die...

"Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come."
Matthew 24:42

Advent started yesterday with foreboding thoughts of the end of the end. "Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, the other left." (v.41) Scary stuff, this. I tend to think of the end stuff, not so much as the end of the world, but more the end of me...when Jesus comes to take me Home. We don't know when that will happen either, and that can be even harder to think about. We all know people who have died suddenly and it can really shake us to the core. How can we prepare for THAT kind of end? I have read so much about the "dying before you die" idea, which beckons us to simplicity, mindful living, and having compassion for others. All of the good that Advent beckons us to, as well. Dying before we die means we let go of what can really hold us here; our small, false selves, our possessions, egos, the Three G's (grudges, grievances and guilt). We must let go of all these in order to cross peacefully over to the other side. Why not get a jump on letting go by starting now, this Advent? Along with the letting go, dying before we die also brings to mind creating positive ripples with our lives--ever widening circles of love and good will that we will leave behind, if we're doing this life well. Dying before we die means living every minute to the fullest, letting others know we love them, squeezing every bit of joy out of the fruits of this life and caring for Creation as the sacred, holy home it is. We do not know on which day our Lord will come for us, but let's make sure we are ready. If we have truly lived our lives with fewer "things" and more positive ripples, we may be ready. If our status and stature have not consumed us, but, instead, our hearts have been consumed by love, we may be ready. This Advent, let's try to die a little before dying, if that isn't too morbid a thought, this Advent Monday...Love, heidi