Women's Spiritual Writing Retreat - Day One

This is the Day… is the theme of this year’s Women’s Spiritual Writing Retreat.  Just that phrase calls to mind scripture, special days of blessing (like birthdays and weddings), and those days that Bob and I have named Before and After (from the movie of the same name), the ones that occur and nothing in one’s life will be the same afterwards (like a serious disease diagnosis or car accident).  Then there are ordinary days, and sometimes there are ordinary days that become extraordinary.  We were going to explore and write about them all.

However, although the fourteen women attending are very interested in writing, the fellowship between us is just as important.  With laughter and tears, we will share parts of our life journey, sometimes even secrets we’ve been keeping.  My cousin is here, two members of my church, my writing partner, a former leader, two women who have suffered serious losses since I’ve last seen them, a woman facing chemotherapy and/or radiation for breast cancer, three women I’ve not met, and two women I’m looking forward to getting to know better.  These are my sisters.

Our centering scripture that we’ll often repeat is: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  - Psalm 118:24  We wrote our own versions and shared them.  This is mine: This is the day that I have looked forward to for over a year.  I will catch up with women I have missed and care for and make new friends.  Amen and amen.

After thinking about all the things that “day” brings to my mind (clustering), I wrote the following poem:

                                                                 The Days

From time unknown, Love breathed
and with some clacking of needles,
knitting and purling,
I was formed in my mother’s womb.

I emerged the day of my birth,
nestled in the calendar
just after cousin Ruth
and before Aunt Dorothy.

I lived early days as an explorer
of unchartered territory,
where everything was a new adventure,
and I was filled with unbridled curiosity.

There were teenage days I wore a back brace
when all I wanted was to look like everyone else,
while college days I was seen in hip-hugging bell bottoms
and didn’t want to fit into a sorority.

Most days I was ambitious and wanted society
to be my experimental ground for new ideas.
I was always eager in the creation,
but cared little for evaluation.

It was a mum-wearing crisp day
at a college football game when I
introduced myself to the ringless
Omar Sharif in front of me.

Almost two thousand days later,
I had my princess day at the altar,
made my promises before God and community,
and then learned to lower my expectations.

Each year of days saw my marriage improve
and my family care-giving increase,
first a teenager, then a broken stepson, and,
all too soon, elderly parents.

In the early morning hour of an ordinary day,
with just a tick of the clock,
my grief exploded, mother dead.

How terribly sad the passing of days became
as I watched my beloved dad’s memory
unravel, one stitch at a time.

After I lost him,
it was also through a passing of days
that I was able to heal.

I enjoy every one of  my now “autumn” days
with a new awareness.  I more often have
eyes to see and ears to hear.

These days are less filled with
scheduled activities, and yet
God calls me to a new thing
and to a time unknown.

Let Your Light Shine

A while ago, cousin Nan gave me a collection of Mary Oliver's poems, Thirst.  I have recently returned to the book, reading a poem a day as part of my morning devotional time.  The one below reminds me of my walks through Dunton Park and my sisters from the group "This Little Light of Mine."

When I Am Among the Trees

 

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

 

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

 

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

 

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

 

~ Mary Oliver ~

 

(Thirst)

Hospitality

Although simply a stopgap measure, President Obama took executive action to allow young undocumented people under age 30 who came to the US before age 16, have lived here at least five years, are in school, have graduated HS, or are military veterans in good standing, and have no criminal records to no longer face deportation.  They can work legally, attend college, and obtain necessary documents, like a driver's license, that they may need.  The US will benefit from this workforce, its labor and ideas.

Alone in the condo when I heard about this change, Zoe was the only one to hear my cheers.  A new outlook on immigration has long been needed.  We have forgotten those words at the bottom of the Statue of Liberty, forgotten that most of us came from families who were once immigrants.  And, we have forgotten our charge to be hospitable to strangers.

If you go to the Sojourners website at sojo.net, you can sign the Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform that will be sent to political leaders.  Below is the information I received from Sojourners: 

Washington politicians refuse to fix America’s broken immigration system. Instead, they use extreme rhetoric, demonizing people created in God’s image, and purposefully distort the positions held by their political opponents. This failure to lead has created a moral, economic, and political crisis that breaks up families and harms children. 

Now, leaders from across the evangelical community are speaking out. Drawing inspiration from scripture, these leaders are trying to change the debate about immigration and encourage elected officials to find practical, bipartisan solutions that reflect the biblical commitments to hospitality and concern for the least among us. Specifically, immigration reform is needed that:
- Respects the God-given dignity of every person
- Protects the unity of the immediate family
- Respects the rule of law
- Guarantees secure national borders 
- Ensures fairness to taxpayers
- Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents

Your voice is needed so legislators will know where the faith community stands on immigration.
Sign the Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform and send a clear message to our political leaders: People of faith agree that we need both parties to work together and pass bipartisan immigration reform.

Now, let's celebrate this change, as we pray for more.

Swans

Just out of bed and with my glasses on, I rubbed my eyes to be sure of what I was seeing.  Swans.  I was seeing a whole group of swans swimming toward our shore.  I rushed to Barbara's closed door and gave it some hard raps.  "Barbara, are you awake?"  "No," she replied.  Not put off a bit I added, "Come quick, it's a flotilla* of swans!"

Isn't life full of wonderful surprises?

*Okay, so a group of swans isn't called a flotilla but a herd.  I really think flotilla is better.