Well good morning good morning. I guess I skipped July and here we are in August. Woohoo. It has been a bit of a whirlwind over the last month. So sorry to be a bit sidetracked. I guess each of us in our own way find ourselves in a bit of a tizzy. Joyce Rupp writes about tizzies, a beautiful prayer to be free of tizzies. Surprisingly I had a chance to be an instructor for an on-line course again and being as Covid-19 strikes at the heart of families everywhere, I also found myself caring for my grandkids as well. Now both of these ventures I welcome but when you have two on the go….well you can get caught up in the tizzy of the juggle. All is good as the course finished, and here I am pondering once again with you.
Upon reflection, the goodness of the spiritual nourishment you receive when you are present to people and in particular the group of teachers in the course I facilitated, it felt like home. Why? Well we talked about some of my favourite things….faith and its wonderings. God is mystery on a good day so discovering a little nugget or three is kind of inspiring. You never know when God will appear. I think of that parable about the man on the roof of his home, as the flood took over. He prayed for God to rescue him. And I think there were three different times the man could be saved but he did not take any of the offerings….for he said God will take care of him. Well, God did provide but the man didn’t see. Paying attention to the life we live.
That takes me to my grandkids. They are so different. And of course they are because they are 9 7/8ths and 1 yr old now. I cannot believe it!!! Where does the time go? Well here at my place, quickly it seems. It is wonderfully different to have the little ones with me and paying attention to them their needs and wants. On the one hand, my grandson is a gamer through and through and I find myself having to decide how to help him balance gaming and life outside of gaming. He knows what he wants but for me I like to give experiences. And then on the other hand, him being content allows me to pay attention to a curious little one who likes to walk all over. She is so close to walking on her own but right now my left and write pointer finger gets a real workout. Holds on for dear life as her little feet tromps across the grass, up the stairs, down the stairs, on the deck, down the deck. over this way and that way back and forth….no rest for the wicked.
It’s all good. Both make me jump because I can. Which goes back to my pondering of the “I can” in life. You never know when you cannot. As my mind wanders, my mom comes to mind. The things she could do have changed drastically as dementia takes over. She is in a nursing home much to the chagrin of my sister and dad. But her physical well being took precedence as her safety and care needed special supports. Now mom’s “I can” takes on a new look. And for me that is my reminder, while I can do what I can I am going to fill my life with “I cans”.
The wake of covid-19 and its face is changing how we do things, literally. It forces you to realize what is important. Having had many a conversation of the concern from the teachers in the course is what to expect in going back to school and the implications of the unknown. No answers that will be sufficient enough to settle the heart and minds so we place our faith in the collective wisdom of the leaders. No one has walked in these sandals before.
One thing that I do pray on is that as individuals we really need to pay attention to what we do. Our decision-making makes a difference to other people’s lives. I can not begin to imagine the cooped up feeling in being isolated for so long especially in spaces of multiple families like high rises. I worry for those who struggle with mental health and well being. The emotional and spiritual wellness may take a turn, a turmoil that goes crazy inside. Oh to be able to hold whomever that needs it and calm their waters.
To breathe, that’s the offering today. Just breathe.
Blessings, Karen
Karenpondering 