Inspiring Ignatian Quote #2
As I sit here in my beautiful sanctuary, I am beyond full! . . . so incredibly blessed! It was my birthday “today” (July 2nd), so I will give myself a little leeway on the midnight deadline I have self-imposed, and write this as if it is still “today”. It started with a series of ‘dings’ on my phone signaling text messages. When you are my age, you don’t expect celebrations for over 6 decades of life unless it is a ‘significant’ number . . . (60? 65? - retirement, etc.) I got in very late/early am and slept long enough to log 6 hours of sleep.
As the dings kept coming, I surmised I was not going to get much more sleep once I woke up enough to realize they were birthday wishes coming through. Then the phone rang signaling a call. OK! I’ll get up! My son called to ‘give me my present’??? He and his wife are expecting their first child . . . I will be greeting a grandson this fall! I am beyond excited and if I could leap like this image, I certainly would, but it is how my heart feels! I just want to leap for joy!!! The moment I learned I’ll be a grandma was a jolt of energy that I know had God’s handprint all over it! With the late wake-up, a long call I absolutely relished, complete with texts of ultrasound images, I’ve been on cloud 9 all day. “You have formed me in my mother’s womb.” (Paraphrase Psalm 139:13)
I have three days of labyrinth walks scheduled for the next three days of the ‘4th of July’ weekend, so needed to get in and finish setting up. A friend was coming up from an hour south and my sister was coming down from an hour north. This is the caliber of family and friends I have! They are absolute treasures! When you get the chance to spend time with such gems, to me, ‘that is where God is.’ I do feel totally alive around friends and family - they energize me. I opened gifts, read texts and facebook messages, had fun cards, beautiful gifts, shared dinner, but putting out the labyrinth with my friend and sister made me feel the most alive I’ve felt in a while! And, I know God was here with us! We prayed as we smudged this sacred space and it is such a tranquil feeling! I hope many are called to the path this weekend, called to share in this wonder of exploring their spiritual side, of feeling alive and feeling God with them . . . spending time with their Loving Creator!
This weekend, let us be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy, pray for our country and its leaders, our communities and our families! Let us bring God back into our daily lives and act with kindness and compassion. This is where God is.