The days go quickly...
And I want to live them well...
I pray for wisdom.
Valerie
Words can deceive folks, but the actions that we take reveal our true selves. Sheri Eichhorn
I’ve been thinking about wounds, healing, scars…
First we get a wound: stabbed, cut, or an incision, and it hurts.
The wound will get better…it will heal…but not instantly. It takes time – and it depends on the severity of the wound. But, most often, it will heal. Our bodies are amazing that way…truly amazing when you stop to think about it.
The saying goes “time heals all wounds”…this I believe, but the question is…will it leave a scar? Some do, others do not. You never know, you just have to wait and see.
Not only does this apply to our physical beings but our emotional beings as well.
I have always liked this quote by Isak Dinesen, “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
Although those three elements are not a cure for everything physically, I think it may be true for emotional healing.
This idea is goes along with a haiku my friend and writing partner, Sharon Ginter Eichhorn, wrote on healing and nature:
Healing is aqua
Corralling the sky and sea
Into gentle hope.
It was my turn to host my book club this month and even though we met a week earlier than the summer solstice (today, June 21) I decided on a summer solstice theme to celebrate the day of the year with the most hours of daylight…something I’ve wanted to throw a party for, for a long time…so I took advantage of my captive audience!
The focus was light, of course, and I used a white lace tablecloth with a center white candle, clear glasses and white plates. I turned on the lights wrapped in the deck fence, and gathered lots of votive candles in clear glass to set around.
The weather was in our favor as it was a beautiful, Minnesota summer evening. We were able to sit on the deck until after dark, and then the mosquitoes joined the party.
I served a dessert with a fruit of summer – strawberries – and for a short time we stopped our discussion and read through “A Summer Prayer” from the book The Circle of Life by Joyce Rupp & Macrrina Wiederkehr. After each section we lit a candle and I placed the candles around the deck. It looked so festive and pretty especially as it got darker. (Celebrating the longest day of the year makes it hard to light up the dark with candles at 7 p.m.!)
Here are excerpts from the prayer:
“May the God of summer give us beauty.”
“May the God of summer give us rest.”
“May the God of summer give us joy.”
“May the God of summer give us inner light.”
“May the God of summer give us what we need for healing.”
“May the God of summer give us a sense of satisfaction in the work of our hands.”
“May the God of summer give us shelter when inner storms threaten our peace of mind and heart.”
“May the God of summer lead us to amazing discoveries as we travel the inner roads of our soul (as well.)”
Thank you fellow book clubbers for indulging me in my first summer solstice party…not to be the last!
Time marches on as
Time stands still
Standing in a crisis
It’s not your will. ~
Time goes slow yet
Days fly by
Cannot contain time
Even if you try. ~
Time keeps ticking
Waiting in a bind
All on your own
Thoughts and prayers are kind. ~
Then comes the time
When there is the need
To step back into life
‘cause time marches on, indeed.
I tried to capture my feelings about this concept of time while going through a difficult period. It’s hard to explain. A situation may lead you to step of out of your “daily life” and it seems you are in a time warp yet the world around you keeps on going – until you stabilize and can gently step back into life (changed) with just a few ever noticing you were “standing still” in the first place. But those few are very precious. All along God has been there with you, and He is Faithful.
My precious friends are in a time of waiting, at the bedside of their firstborn son. My heartfelt prayers continue and my thoughts turn to them over and over during the day as I continue on. But these are Holy moments for them. They are in the arms of the Almighty God. They love him, He loves them, and so do I.
“The Eternal God is your our refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27
We stepped back in time last week when we visited my 96-year-old aunt, Flo. Well, she’s not really my aunt…she’s my aunt’s friend but they lived together since 1937 so she’s a part of the family. My very special Auntie Ag died in 2004 but we try to stay connected with her friend, Flo. My aunt and Flo met at a munitions plant in the 1930’s where they both were working at the time. They became lifelong friends.
Flo still lives in the same house that these two women bought in 1968. It was only a year or two old when they bought it and it was very high-quality construction and workmanship. However, Flo told us the gold living room carpet and draperies were the first on their list to change out. Forty-eight years later the gold, wool carpeting is still there –in remarkably good shape – and the gold, full-length heavy, lined draperies, which cover a wall of windows overlooking a creek running through the backyard, are still hanging.
She recently replaced the original refrigerator because it was making a noise, although it was still working. The original built-in, avocado-green oven and stovetop works and the original vinyl is still covers the kitchen floor.
The living room furniture is mostly original too. My favorites are the two tall gold, glass lamps that adorn each side of the sofa (which I remember the sofa being covered in clear plastic for many years.)
I have always loved going to their home…it holds many happy memories for me.
As we sat in her comfortable living room we asked Flo about the jobs she’s had over the years and for the next hour she told us some very interesting stories. I’d suggest to anyone with a relative or friend over ninety to ask about their work history. It’s revealing. What a delightful afternoon.
As we walk through the door of this wonderful home it seems we take a step back in time for a little while and it feels good. Then awhile later we walk back into the real world again.