Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Coming Up For Air


Just spent three days dealing with social service agencies, caseworkers, and therapists, advocating for my younger son's needs. After three days, I badly needed to come up for air. I joke about it sometimes but it's true: I forget to breathe. I'll be speeding along a major highway, thinking about who I need to contact next, and realize I'm not breathing. It happens far too often.
I went out into the garden for a break. I started some new strawberry plants this year, Alpine Something Or Other, and delicious slightly tart little berries are appearing under the broad strawberry leaves. If I'm lucky, I can pop a few in my mouth before some mysterious intruder comes in for his share of the goodies.
More and more, my garden has become a place of prayer. Occasionally there are whole afternoons where my three busy teenagers are doing other things, and I have time to think and pray. While I'm tying up the beautifully abundant squash plants, trying to teach them to leave the less boisterous pepper and tomato plants alone, I can pray a rosary or take my time saying one of the psalms. And there, I can breathe deeply. It's God's way of calling us back into remembrance of Him, through His creation.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Finding out you're not alone


Find a church, learn how to bend.
Instant relief.
Get small, let God be God.
You don’t think you’re carrying that cross all by yourself do you?
Who are we kidding here?
Who do you think you are, God’s gift to the rest of us?
Oh wait a minute -- you are.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

What would you do if God told you His plans?


Does God talk to you?
Are you kidding? God talks to everybody, but most people don’t listen.
I didn't listen to him for most of my life.
What kind of relationships do you have where no one listens?
What happens to the relationship? Right.

Most of them are like that, aren’t they?
I'm just beginning to learn how to listen, and follow Him.
I found out it's all about relationships.
A real, close relationship with God prepares you, better than anything, for listening and serving others without neglecting yourself.
God made you to praise Him, not to throw your life away.
Excuse me, I have to go catch up on the laundry.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Benediction

I discovered there is life after burnout. This is good news, and something good to say about burnout. That is, you can survive it. I found it amusing, teaching a course on therapeutic listening for three years, and occasionally using stories from my own life to illustrate the course.