Thursday, July 30, 2015

THE HEALER



It was around eight years ago, when I met her,  that I first noticed it...

        that there was something missing in my life


In her early forties, confined to a wheelchair, totally dependent on her parents to take care of her--

she told me the story of how it started...

        walking home from school with her sister one day, she  kept dropping her books.  She knew something was very wrong--turned out it was Multiple Sclerosis.  

        She struggled through high school, even went to a top college and was accepted to law school, but instead became a teacher and later, joined the Peace Corps.

       Over time the disease weakened and attacked all of her muscles--finally leaving her unable to walk or even use her arms.


google images


But it wasn't her history that first struck me...

        there was something about her...

            how she would say things like...

        "my mother made the best breakfast this morning, Teri.  I so appreciate her"

         "aren't the snowflakes beautiful--I love to sit and stare at them on the windows"

         "I'm having such a great day--I received a card from a class of 3rd graders at the school where I used to teach"



All kinds of things were running through my mind...

Is she for real??

Ok, no one can be that cheerful all the time. I mean look at her situation-- she can't even change her own pants or brush her teeth without help.  I better check the list she is probably on those "happy" pills.  



But every time I saw her it was the same thing

She carried something inside that I couldn't quite pinpoint...


light?

hope?

contentment?

all of the above??


I began to look forward to our visits.  Occasionally I would notice a bible on the night stand or she would be watching a spiritual program when I came in...

Oh no, I hope she's not going to try to talk me into something...

You know those people can get carried away with that religious stuff...

Some of them are really fanatics...


But she never did... she never said anything about it

     it was how she lived that began to affect me

     and at that time, a very dark period in my life, being in her presence felt like a soothing balm to my soul.

One day I went to see her and she wasn't her usual upbeat self--

     Aha! So I was right-- it was just an act!  Or does she finally just realize how the world really is?

But no, turns out she had a little infection, went to the hospital for a few days, and came back home her normal, joyful self.  In a way, I was secretly relieved.

She definitely had something I wanted..

     but what was it...

         and how could I get it?...


I thought about it for quite a while...

     Hmm...maybe there was something to that prayer thing she was always doing.  Oh, I am a believer and practice pretty much by what the rules say to do

     But she seems to want to do it.  I have always seen it more like a duty or obligation  

     It's almost like the prayer is filling something inside of her

     I guess it wouldn't hurt to try 

I started to reach out and pray, I mean really pray, as if I was praying to someone not just reciting words...

Slowly I could feel my heart 

soften 

open

receive

relent


there was someone out there listening to my prayers

I could feel it


His presence became crystal clear

and after time 

so close I can almost touch it 



I never saw her again after those few months

but I think of her often

                I think of how

funny

ironic

perfectly planned

it was


that I was supposed to help her recover

supposed to be there to heal her


but 

in the end 

it was she

 who  

helped heal me 














Sunday, July 26, 2015

GIRL ON FIRE




Have you ever experienced the feeling of catching someone else's happiness?




At a concert last night...

... we all sit 

...very orderly

...staying within the confines of our own space




The music starts


he sits down next to me

     younger guy around 20 something years old

     I can feel his energy

      his spark

      before long he is jumping up and singing...



his happiness is pulling me up like a magnet

soon the whole crowd feels it


       the song

        air

        breeze

        joy


       is taking us away




confetti falls from the sky like petals of grace





the place is ablaze with  



life

spirit

love


the flame is spreading

it catches...

ignites...




girl on fire

CLICK ON LINK BELOW

       



     

Thursday, July 23, 2015

THIRST



     ringing phones...

     piles of papers...

     to do list...
 my mouth feels dry



     Iphone...

     Ipad...

     keyboards...

 I feel thirsty



     cars honking...

     streets closed...

     sirens...

 I am parched



     headlines...

     tweets...

     postings...

I wander aimlessly in the desert





                      I force myself to...
STOP

Look for it

 just to my right

I can see it 





THE STREAM OF 

REFRESHING

 COOL

SPARKLING 

WATER

google images


I DRINK, AND DRINK MORE

FROM THE CUP OF LIVING WATER





drenched...

filled...

washed... 

clean...



I turn to face the day

can go out to the world 


the water glistens within me




* ...for you I long!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
Like a land parched, lifeless,
and without water

...You visit the earth and water it,
make it abundantly fertile
you drench plowed furrows
With showers you keep the ground soft,
your paths drip with fruitful rain



*Psalm 63:2, 65:10-12

















Sunday, July 19, 2015

STUFF HAPPENS



Did you ever have one of those days??

Oh, it started off well enough--

     sun shining

     nice relaxing Sunday

     perfect time for a short day trip



The black ominous clouds hanging over the car as I enter the highway should have been my first hint that trouble was coming.

Hey, no problem, I have driven in lots of bad weather before...little did I know...

Finally, after two hours of bumper to bumper traffic in pouring rain, I arrive at my destination.

But on the way back-- that's when things really started going downhill...

        What's that?  Looks like the engine light is flashing 


CHECK ENGINE!!

OH NO

                                                     
 that bright neon green foam pouring out of the radiator can't be good


google images

OK, this isn't funny anymore





Twenty minutes later...

"What do you mean it's going to be three hours for a tow truck?" I sputter into the phone at the representative from the auto club.  I look in the rear view mirror---my hair looks like someone poured a bucket of water over my head and then I went through a wind tunnel.

Silence on the other end

"Well, I don't think you really do understand--because as far as I see it,  I am stuck here on the road in the pouring rain and you are in a nice dry office."

24 hours at your service the card says.
Hmmph!!!

Oh now this is getting ugly

Another four or five calls later...

"Ok, thank you for your help"
I make sure to emphasize the "thaaaaank yoooou"  real sarcastic-like so he knows how annoyed I am.

I hang up the phone with a thud!

Yeah, thanks alot for nothing

I should...

I should...

       call his supervisor??

       file a complaint with customer service???

       call him back just to get my point across??

        really get them by cancelling my policy??


Oh wait, 

hold on a minute

that's one of my favorite songs on the radio...

yeah, I'm still mad but I want to hear this first...

Soon I am surprised to be singing along.  
Hmmm,  crazy how music can do that to you...
can take you back--let's see, oh yeah it was the summer of 19...

Ok, anyway back to the issue at hand...

        I should...

        I really should...


Oh, maybe I should just shut up and chill out

And guess what self??

        NEWS FLASH!!!

        you are not the center of the universe

        he was probably someone just like you trying to make it through the day

        you did blow everything a little out of proportion

 And know what else??

         the world is not out to get you

         everyone has their ups and downs and this is your turn

         you have a lot to be thankful for



My ride arrives shortly after

        "So what's going on?  Are you ok??"

         "Oh, you know," I say, 


   STUFF HAPPENS



        















Thursday, July 16, 2015

A FLOWER IN BLOOM



I hear her first---before I see her-- as I am standing at the check-out line in a busy grocery store...

     "Mom, what do you think I will be when I grow up?"

I quickly glance back to look...

     around eleven years old, long wavy brown hair lying against makeup free light pink cheeks, clear brown eyes with dark lashes, delicate hands...she seems totally unaware of her budding beauty.



She reminds me of a perfect rose bud I saw in the garden last week...




google images



about to burst into blossom

pure and unblemished

  a subtle fragrance hinting of future splendor


 Her slender legs still have the sweetness of baby fat around the knees.  Light blue nails peek out from the tips of her strappy leather sandals.   She is at that age...on the brink...





Hey,  

I know what you will be, what you can be...if you allow yourself...



     You can be someone who is not afraid to be different and is brave enough to show your own quirky, special, unique self

     You can be a person who makes a difference in the world by befriending the lonely and forgotten

     You can be unafraid to show your intelligence because even though some will never admit it... boys like and respect smart girls

     You can be strong enough to go after your dreams and know that you are perfect no matter what size, shape, color you are

     And most importantly,

        You can always be assured that you are loved, treasured and
 cared for like an 

exquisite 

rare

flower




                     So...
go

grow 

unfold

become


the world waits to see you in 
fineartamerica Rosann Jordan
Full Bloom


Sunday, July 12, 2015

LIGHTER THAN AIR



Her heart takes flight...








like a bright pink balloon















hovering









                                                                         


               

   

floating high 
above 
the ground 










briefly touching 
down
to earth












only to bounce up again


















soaring within 
the realms 








flying
lighter than air






TOUCHING THE SKY


                                  (Click on the link below)
                   TOUCH THE SKY HILLSONG UNITED



photos courtesy of Teri Jeffries:)


Thursday, July 9, 2015

TRUE COLORS



He sees desolate streets and hollow buildings--

        "like a ghost town"

          he tells me



It's been around 5 years off and on

        that he has been in the grip and blackness of the 


                  "habit"
        
taking up residence like a deadly poison in his soul


leaving emptiness behind

vacant building

an abandoned house


with a constant need for 

nothingness

a never ending hunger



But look over there--

        "to your right"

           I tell him

can't you see the castles made of 

shiny, sparkling stones in every color

                how they

surround 

beckon

glimmer

call



I   wait...

      watch...

          pray...

           only he can choose

no one can do it for him...

no one can do it except him... 



     waiting...

        watching...

          praying...




He comes home different, I can tell from his voice on the phone...

        wants to "let more light in the house," he says

begins tearing down old curtains

washing windows til they shine

scrubbing everything in sight

"I can't believe how bad it got...it's really disgusting in here"

Uh huh

     waiting...

        watching...

           praying...

One day at a time, my friend...

keep going

stay strong



your castle of color awaits




(CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW)


  

photo courtesy of google images


Saturday, July 4, 2015

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!



Today in the U.S. 

     we celebrate our independence

            our freedom

                      so wherever you are... 

                            whatever it means to you.. 

it may be release from...

loneliness

judgment

depression

illness

worry

violence

poverty











MAY YOU EXPERIENCE TRUE FREEDOM 



IN SOME SMALL WAY:)



                                











photo courtesy of google images


Thursday, July 2, 2015

SEND ME



It's going to be a great day

I can feel it....

        caught up on work

        weekend coming

        looking forward to some fun and relaxation


Uh oh, ringing phone

Oh no, it's him....

not now

I don't have time

cannot deal with his problems right now

want to help but he is just so draining

maybe I can just give him a number to call

where is his family?? 


Oh, I get all kinds of advice

        ..."most of those people cause their own problems"

..."they need to get a job, they don't want to work"

..."you can't trust them--they will manipulate you"

..."watch out--never let your guard down with them"

..."they usually just want money for drugs or alcohol"


     still others 

           ..."they need help--there are programs for people like that"

           
..."I wish I could do something but my husband says not to get involved"


..."somebody should do more for them"




Yeah somebody should

somebody 

SOMEBODY

BUT WHO???

*Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send?  Who will go for us?"
"Here I am," I said, "send me!"



I pick up my phone and hit the "ACCEPT" button


"Hi, what's up?"

"YES, I'M HERE"



*Isaiah 6:8

photo courtesy of google images