The Little Things

It is helpful to keep this journal and to process outloud and at the same time let you into my life. In these last months, I have likened this part of our journey and my own, to the Israelites exodus from Egypt into the promised land and their experience of the desert. Sometimes I wonder what this personal desert is about and find the twisting undefined journey exhausting and confusing. There is so much I am learning here in this part of the desert. I am learning that it means letting go of control - letting go of a lot - recognizing that I cannot do anything to change the way things are and the best that I can do, is trust. I am learning. Somedays it is easier than others. But I have to say, that so many changing circumstances make it impossible to control everything. So, God leads, and I follow and there is a lot that is mysterious, but I trust - and try to trust. Thanks to those of you who have encouraged me by letting me know you are reading this. It keeps me writing. Thanks for caring.

Yesterday, I realized that in desert moments, it is hard to see the positive, to see the Lord's beauty because you are so concentrated on the desert. Where is the water? Where is the Manna? Someone recently prayed for me, that I might have eyes to see. I keep praying that prayer for myself. And often it is the little things that bring JOY and HOPE and BEAUTY and WONDER to our lives. It is remembering God's faithfulness through our days. It means at the end of the day remembering the "Manna" that was given from our Lord to us to eat (as Monica and Linsey would say).

So I am recounting to you some of the "Manna" I have experienced in these last days in no particular order:

When we were out on the streets and we were remembering with our friends who attended Casa Job about the English class that Tina taught and all the sudden I burst out singing at the same time as our friend V - HELLO, HELLO, HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? I"M FINE, I'M FINE, I HOPE THAT YOU ARE TOO! We laughed hard after that!

Caldwell, Linsey's boyfriend is visiting and he is from India and Nepal (although he lives in the US). He is making us real Chai tonight!

Isabel (the Langley's daughter) and I had a special date before her school started this past week and we had ice cream and went to Coney Park - a little fun park for kids! It was hilarious letting Isabel try the bumper cars on her own. She was determined to drive them, even with her little self!

The little boys playing in our park. They find the most simple things to be the most entertaining. Dirt piles, hand stands, soccer games in the street, pop-a-wheelee's, tree houses in the park tree.

The market juice lady! She makes the best extracts - beets, carrots, apples, pineapple, grapes or whatever fruit she finds!

Getting to hold new beautiful babies (there are many new baby girls!) - getting to hold and play with Natalia (the Langley's sweet "fruit snack" daughter).

Going with Rachel to the 80's tae bo class!

We received news that we will now have enough funds to purchase a building!!! Gratitude! We are dreaming with the Lord! What might he want us to do? Many ideas have been thrown out there including my newest idea to make a bowling alley and rent out the bowling lanes and have our friends run the business. What do you think!!!??

Luisa, Sebastian and Brian are back to work! Linsey and Monica are feeling better!

We celebrated David's, Jose Luis's, Anna's, JA's, M's, V's, C's birthdays...there are more...soon to come!

Music - lots of music - Birthday CD's - guitar playing, singing my lungs out, MUSIC is healing.

Dance - lots of dance - Birthday discoteca dancing - moving those feet, dancing until you can't move anymore, DANCE is healing.


I
The grace that is the health of creatures can only be held in common.

In healing the scattered members come together.

In health the flesh is graced, the holy enters the world.

II
The task of healing is to respect oneself as a creature, no more and no less.

A creature is not a creator, and cannot be. There is only one Creation, and we are its members.

To be creative is only to have health: to keep oneself fully alive in the Creation, to keep the Creation fully alive in oneself, to see the Creation anew, to welcome one's part in it anew.

The most creative works are all strategies of this health.

Works of pride, by self-called creators, with their premium on originality, reduce the Creation to novelty- the faint surprises of minds incapable of wonder.

Pursuing originality, the would-be creator works alone. In loneliness one assumes a responsibility for oneself that one cannot fulfill.

Novelty is a new kind of loneliness.

IX
The teachings of unsuspected teachers belong to the task, and are its hope.

The love and the work of friends and lovers belong to the task,
and are its health.

Rest and rejoicing belong to the task, and are its grace.

Let tomorrow come tomorrow. Not by your will is the house carried throught the night.

Order is only the possiblility of rest.

Wendell Berry 1977 "Healing"