I recently went to get my hair cut and had a very interesting conversation with the beautician. She is an immigrant and she told me about how her family, who had come to this country before her, had encouraged her to come. But, before she came she noticed something different about them once they arrived in America. She told me as soon as her family members got settled here, they stopped being so conversant in phone calls and letters. They explained that life in America was different and now they did not have time for those things. My beautician didn’t really believe that life in America could be so different that a person no longer had time for their family or to simply make a phone call. However, as soon as she arrived in America, she found her relatives assessment to be true. Suddenly, she had no time – or not the same kind of time she used to have back home in Africa. She found the pace of life here faster – more hectic – more frenzied – more “unconscious,” if you will (my words, not hers). I asked her what life back home was like – like, what were the things that she missed that now, since she was in America, she had no time for. Her voice filled with longing as she told me that, especially on Sundays back home, everyone would spend the day with family or friends. They would eat together, take walks, tell stories, or play with the children. Nobody did any work on Sundays – no one went to jobs and no one did housework or made any repairs. There was always another time for those tasks to be done. Sundays were reserved for being together and enjoying life. It was expected. It was desired.

Her conversation has made me think about how many things our fast-paced culture demands of us. And, this year of “retreat” for me, without a job or paycheck, has caused me to think about these things deeply and begin to respond differently. Now, a leisurely walk each day (with no particular place to go) is a treasured part of my day. Reading and engrossing myself in good literature and entering into the scenes and stories of other times and other places is renewing and refreshing. Rediscovering the lost art of cooking, with fresh and simple ingredients is paving the way to a new way of eating and living. I resist the urge to turn on the TV or have music constantly playing. I spend more time in quiet contemplation and reach out to others more. I shop only for the essentials, no longer making shopping my favorite pastime. And, doing all these, I find I have more time. Easy to say, I know, when I also do not have a job, but even without a job our culture demands a pace and an expectation of life that is difficult for us to healthily respond to. Think about my beautician’s words: the pace of life here is faster – more hectic – more frenzied – more “unconscious,” if you will (my words, not hers). Perhaps the approaching New Year is a chance for all of us to become more conscious and more deliberate in what we choose to do with our time. Perhaps today is the day we can start responding differently.

What book are you enjoying reading?
Who will you reach out to next?
What will this Sunday be like for you?

Take a walk. Reach out to someone. Enjoy a book. Cook a simple meal. Rejoice and enjoy by making this year different.

Are you ever confused about what to do next in a situation? Like which way to go, or what to say that will not be misunderstood or taken wrongly?  It must be a common occurrence, because there are so many times that I feel that way throughout my day.  How do I know what to choose?  What direction is the right way to go?  How can I find something life-giving among so many life-denying choices?  In the midst of so many things falling apart, how do we choose life and go on?  Perhaps we can take a lesson from nature.

This fall has been quite confusing in D.C.  Not only did we have snow before Halloween, but now we have had temperatures in the 70’s in the 3rd week of November.   What can be more confusing than that?  Well, many things maybe, but what I witnessed in nature this past week is a most amazing response to the confusion.  The cherry trees all over D.C., while losing their leaves this fall are also struggling to bloom!  That’s right.  Cherry blossoms in November.  I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. 

So next time we don’t know what to do in a confusing situation, perhaps we need to mirror nature and simply bloom.  We could bloom with kindness, or forgiveness, or understanding, or offering someone a second chance.  Just remember to bloom, no matter how confusing it may be.  Because the blossoms of our confusion just may be the graced moment of our day where God is reaching out to touch us and through us, touching others. 

Music is the most amazing thing! It has the ability to speak without words and express what can’t be expressed in any other way.  Imagine how proud I am to be the parent of a very creative and accomplished musician!  Jared has loved music from the day he was born.  I can still remember him accurately carrying the tune to Sesame Street long before he could talk!  He not only writes, performs, and composes music, he teaches it as well.  Music is his life and his major form of expression.  He has just launched a new website and I am proud to recommend him.  If you (or anyone you know) have ever wanted to learn to play the guitar, Jared is the teacher for you!  Check out Jared’s new website!

Music, like grace, comes in many forms.  When we can’t express ourselves in words, music is there to help us express ourselves in a universal language.  Our gratitude, sorrow, joy, excitement, or lament can all be expressed with notes that can be understood throughout the human community.  If you appreciate the gift of music, thank a musician, and rejoice that you are able to embrace the grace of a universal language.

Whenever it gets too cold, or too hot, or I’m too cranky, or overworked, or depressed, I know of one way to revive my spirit.  I go to the water.  It doesn’t matter where – a pond, or steam, or little lake will do, but the ocean is the most powerful.  Recently, after living many, many years on the West Coast, we traveled for the weekend to the farthest edge of the East Coast nearest to us.  We visited Ocean City, Maryland and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.   Both are spots of enormous beauty!  In the face of so much water rushing continuously on shore and pulling back again, it’s easy for me to gain a little perspective and revive my spirit.  Just as the waves repeat their actions, and nothing is lost in their coming or going, our lives will continue on no matter what is crashing toward us.  There is a lesson in the ocean for me:  Water is life-giving, but it can also cause death and destruction – treat it with respect.  We must treat our lives, and all the events that wash over us, with respect as well.  Just as the water is teaming with life, although we can’t always see it, so the events of our lives, both the good and the not so good, bring new growth and deeper meaning for us even though at times we cannot see that either.  I let the wave action rushing toward me and pulling back again remind me of the actions of the Holy Spirit – ready to drown me with love in my need, and allowing me to float above the chaos, but pulling back when I can carry on by my own strength.  Yes, there is no doubt that even a moment at the beach is filled with grace.  What do you do to revive your spirit and find grace in your day?

Life sure is interesting! Our time here has been filled with exciting occurrences, not the least of which have been earthquakes, hurricane’s, tropical storms, and record high temps in July . . . now we have had the coldest temps and the earliest snow in 3 decades!  While it wasn’t much snow for us, it was pretty . . . and pretty cold!  Add to that our apartment complex is doing a refitting of the heating system and we have no heat!!!  Hopefully it will be done soon.  This occasioned a trip to Costco to buy a portable heater, and now we are a bit more comfortable.  And the sun has graced us this morning, melting the remaining snow.  It was a bright and sunny 38 degrees as we walked to church.  Graced moments, indeed.  Happy Halloween!

The squirrels are out today in furious force. They run in front of me, bound up the nearest tree, jump from branch to branch over my head barking their greeting, or perhaps their warning.  The slightly cooler temperatures have tented the edges of the leaves yellow and the squirrels have begun their fall ritual.  They are preparing, gathering, stowing away any precious nugget that may be of use in the future.  They stop along my path only long enough to grab up their precious loot, store it in their cheeks and bound away again.

If all things can be revelatory of God’s presence and grace in the world, what message do these squirrels carry for us?  What are we to learn from their persistent activity at this time of year?  What are they speaking to us with their little barks and cheeks full of seeds?  Perhaps their message is to “be prepared.”  Perhaps it’s a message of never taking anything for granted.  Perhaps they are telling us to open our eyes and see what’s right before us — not the computer or the TV — but the grace of God everywhere.  And, when we do see this gift of grace – perhaps the squirrels are telling us – pick it up!  Carry it with us.  Hold onto it.  Savor it’s goodness and store it away where we can find it again when our need is great … when perhaps our vision is not so clear.  Perhaps the message from the activity of the squirrels is – don’t miss the beauty, the precious morsels of food that God reveals to us daily.  They are graced moments.  They can feed us now and if we store them away in our memory, they can nourish us again later, when perhaps we need the nourishment of special care and love.  Take a message, or a warning, from the squirrels.  Now is the time to prepare, gather and store away what may be useful later.

This morning I woke up to the most amazing thing.  As I went out for my morning walk I knew it could be nothing other than grace.  After a record heat wave, an earthquake, a hurricane and two tropical storms dumping record amounts of rain, this morning light breezes blew through our DC neighborhood at 59 degrees.  And it was blessed relief.  Everything seemed to take notice.  The flowers seemed to rise up in their beds; flags unfurled their colors in the breeze; dogs trotted merrily; bugs ceased their continual chatter; birds lingered in the grass; and the mailman paused a moment and said “hello” to me!  The gentle, cooler breeze stroked my face, fingered my hair, challenged me to a light   sweater and revived my spirits.  It felt like home in Seattle!

A friend from Africa once told me that Americans are entirely too focused on the weather – when there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.  That may be, but today I just enjoyed it.  So, enjoy the breeze whenever it blows, for through it God’s Holy Spirit is touching our lives with a graced moment.  Just enjoy it.

Each morning I have been walking around our new neighborhood. I try to go in a different direction so I can become familiar with this area of the city and the landscape. There are many beautiful parks and houses, many lovely sights – like the young deer munching someone’s front lawn I saw yesterday – and the butterflies that come and go across my path.

One interesting thing I have noticed about this city:  there are more churches than there are gas stations.  That should say something profound!  This morning during my walk I passed a Hebrew Congregation, the parish of the Ascension, the National Episcopal Cathedral, Hagia Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and a St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox, as well as a couple of smaller congregations that I can’t recall their names — and not ONE gas station!  All the houses of worship are beautiful and majestic buildings, lovely to behold.  But, as I have walked these past few weeks, I’ve also noticed that while there are more churches than gas stations, the people I pass along the sidewalks (and there are many of them – this is a walking city) do not look up or make eye contact in any way.  It is a rare occurrence to meet someone’s eyes and nod in acknowledgement with a “hello” or “good morning.”  This is certainly a regional custom, but it is something I’m just not used to!

More important than seeing the beauty of so many churches where we worship God, is discovering God’s presence in the faces of passing strangers.  As part of my walk I am trying to say “hello” to as many people as I can.  Occasionally, someone will reply with an astonished smile and a “hello” to me.  It makes me smile even more and I realize it is a graced moment.

While our lives are full of so many concerns and responsibilities, and the need to get somewhere before we are late, we should never let these concerns overshadow a simple smile that can offer someone a graced moment.

“A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the Lord — but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake — but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire — but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound….”  1Kings19:11-12

This week in Washington DC we have had the earthquake – the strongest one in over 100 years! And it felt like mighty shaking!  Especially because this part of the country isn’t very accustomed to earthquakes!
Then the winds came – mighty and destructive winds – and hurricane Irene followed.  Rains flowed and although there were no fires, I tell you, the events of this week have caused me to listen more intently for that tiny whispering sound!

One of the whispers during the week was an opportunity, following the earthquake, to visit the new Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial on the tidal basin.  It is very impressive and feels like a sacred place …. for “out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope” is so visually present in the entrance and approach to the standing figure of King.  Truly a whisper of hope, truly a graced moment.