Safe in the Hands of Fourth Graders

I have been blessed with an abundance of "God moments" while on this retreat, and many involve the natural world.  It isn't easy for me to hike (or shuffle, as the case may be) up the hill to the grotto, but I got up there yesterday just in time for the rain to start coming down in buckets! I sat nursing my sore knee and soaking in the beauty of the surroundings, when I suddenly heard a buzzing sound off to my right, and turned to see a lone hummingbird hovering in the grotto for shelter.  It rested briefly on a rock, and then headed back out into the rain.  I was reminded of a similar visitation on my 50th birthday, when David and I hiked up the East Inlet trail (my favorite trail) in Rocky Mt. National Park (my favorite park) and went as far as the rock shelf (the stopping point when David was a child).  After awhile, I sent David back down the trail so I could have a moment to pray and savor the setting (and contemplate how to tell him that my knee was shot and I didn't have a clue how I was going to hike out of there) when all of a sudden a hummingbird came up over the rock shelf and hovered in front of me - close enough to touch.  It was such a kairotic moment - I was transfixed, and felt God's ever-present grace enfolding me.  Unfortunately transfixed doesn't mean transported, and I still had to hike back to the car (who snuck in and lengthened the trail while we rested on the rock shelf?)!  It took twice as long to hike out as it did to hike in, and the pain, at times, was excruciating.  But several times along the trail, the hummingbird re-appeared, giving me encouragement and hope - a lesson that God may not fix the situation, but provides ample hummingbird power to see it through.

Today I didn't risk limping back to the grotto, but shuffled instead down to the area known as the park, where I've been told there is a lovely swing in a grove of trees.  I found the swing (very lovely) in the grove of trees (peaceful), but after sitting awhile, I felt like exploring a bit further.  Encouraged by the birds who were squawking me out of their territory, I headed back towards the road and saw a charming old bench.  Actually, my knee saw the bench, and encouraged my body to try it out.  It was very old - the kind of bench that has planters built into the side of the bench.  And when I looked to the
planter on the right, I was surprised to see a lily of the valley plant (my favorite flower) in full bloom.  The fragrance was - well - no word captures it for me.  I smile deeply just thinking about the beauty and fragrance of these wee flowers.

Each day since I've been here I've sat in the glider in front of the window and savored a beautiful rainbow.  Today's full arch appeared in pieces over time, but when the last bit of the arch appeared the entire rainbow intensified like someone had plugged it in - pow!  It startled me by its brightness, and left me uttering the words of the psalmist:  Glory.  A powerful reminder that such beauty only happens in the midst of showers.

But all of these God moments pale in comparison to today's hope-filled encounter.  A fourth grade class was visiting the monastery, and the students and teachers attended midday Mass.   For the most part, this is not a chronologically young community (although intellectually and spiritually the community is flexible and fit).  Having a class of fourth graders introduced into this mix completely changed the atmosphere.  The retired priest was very welcoming to them, and tried his best to include them, but they looked so out of place...and were trying to be ever so still and quiet...and kept looking toward their teachers for direction and guidance...

...until in the middle of Mass, one of the elderly Sisters, who is in a wheelchair, decided she needed to leave.  In turning her wheel chair around she knocked over her water bottle.  One of the other Sisters picked it up, and helped the Sister back to the infirmary.  But as she was wheeled away (all while the priest was continuing with Mass), two of the fourth grade girls noticed that water had spilled onto the floor, and they grabbed the tissue box off the counter and raced over to the spill, kneeling down and trying to clean up the mess with tissues.  None of the adults had noticed the water, or if they had, they decided not to interrupt Mass to clean it up.  How easy it would have been for one of the Sisters to slip in the water when they went up for Communion!  But have no fear - the fourth graders visitors immediately responded with grace and efficiency.  Even though they were in a strange place - even though no one gave them permission to get involved and clean up the mess - even though it wasn't their mess to clean up - even in the presence of plenty of grown ups who could have dealt with it, they noticed and acted.  As I watched them, I found that I, too, needed tissue.  But this water spill was coming from my eyes and heart.

Kudos to the priest for stopping the liturgy to acknowledge the compassion and quick thinking of these young guests!  Jesus said child-like faith would bring us into God's presence - and so it did.

The world is in safe hands, so long as God has fourth graders who are willing to show up, pay attention, and be our teachers.

Celebrating hope and grace every place I find it,
Kim

Flap Less - Glide More

A month has passed, and I'm back at the Monastery for a few days.  The drive up was wet, but thank goodness it is raining (the hills look so brown for May)!  David Crosby kept me company for the drive (the post-jail, clean and sober Crosby - I celebrate all people who are able to turn their life around and continue being creative)!  I'm staying in a room I've never been in before, which gives me a slightly different view of the Camas Prairie.  I brought a stack of books with me, plan to keep the daily yoga going as well as (knees permitting) a daily walk to the grotto.  Plus chapel 3x/day.  And a nap.  And good visits with the Sisters.  It is good to be here.

I'm now almost a month into what I half-jokingly call the Romans 5: 1-5 Program.  Although I am no where near the hope part (yet), I get the occasional whiff of its signature fragrance, which causes me to breathe deeply, and center.  And endure.  And heal.  It is a slow process.  But it is proceeding, and that is a blessing.  God is good...

...and so are swifts (not the weaving kind - which are also good - but the flying kind - which are amazing).  From my window here at the Spirit Center I watch a variety of different birds as they flap and flutter.  Today my favorite is the swifts - they may flap, but they also have the whole "glide thing" figured out.  I have spent this afternoon and evening delighted by their aerial gliding choreography - such grace, beauty and whimsy.

Clearly we are meant to flap less, and glide more.

Working the program,
Kim