Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Today
Last night was again a "weird" night of sleep. Good to be in my own bed, but odd and interrupted. And yet, my heart is quiet this morning. It's at rest, and yet wandering the globe.
Today my heart is praying:
Today my heart is praying:
- for a dear friend whom "the water knows"
- for someone celebrating a birthday
- for my uncle and his family as they grieve the death of a loved one
- for a long-time friend who is waiting for some changes to finally happen
- for two sets of friends starting out on the journey of married life
- for a new friend who works with broken young people
- for a much loved and missed friend on the other side of the world (and her fiancee who is waiting for her here)
- for a little boy who often greets me with "I ike you"
- for a number of dear friends facing uncertainty
- for one who is walking the other way
- for the healing and restoration of relationships
- that arms that long for children would be filled
- that hands and a voice that were filled with music would no longer be silenced
- for the "coming joy"
- for sabbatical, rest, and the shift into the things that make our hearts come alive
- for Canada, as we vote today, and select those who will govern for the next season
- for a gentler winter
- for eyes and ears and hearts
- for friends scattered and relationships broken
- for a soldier and his family
Monday, October 13, 2008
Waiting for Home
I'm sitting in the Toronto airport.
It's 6:15 am in my home time zone. I've been up since 11:00 pm yesterday in my home time zone. I slept two hours before that. And I slept for two hours or so on the plane from Newfoundland to Toronto.
It was a good weekend. Filled with friends (family, really), laughter, love, prayer and hugs. Some harder things too. But good.
And now, now I'm ready to be home for a while. To settle into life. To rest. To pray and think and write. To sort out several major decisions that need to be made. To begin the process of seeking a community of believers in my own city to call home for a while.
I'm looking forward to my own bed, my own house, my own car (assuming we can get George started after the non-starting debacle that immediately proceeded my weekend away.)
I'm near tears, the good kind and the not so good kind.
I spent a lot of time this weekend in the arms of a dear friend, one of the few people in the world with whom I feel totally safe, and free to be myself. It's always hard to say goodbye to her, and this morning was no exception. But it was such a treat to be with her and be held by her and to hold her even for a few days.
It was great to watch two friends get married. It was great to sit in a tiny cafe by the Atlantic Ocean and laugh and talk over a shared breakfast with friends. It was great to sit in a pub, and a house, and various other locations and share laughter and food. It was good to hike by the ocean.
But now, sitting here in Toronto, half-way through a 2.5 hour layover, I'm waiting for home. I'm looking forward to seeing whichever family member greets me at the airport. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting George jump-started, and then taking him for a drive towards the mountains to charge his battery. I'm looking forward to cooking my own dinner, and then a nice early arrival in bed - in my own bed and bedroom.
One hour to go until my flight boards. Then (hopefully) a couple hours of sleep on the plane. Then Home. A safe place.
Home is a good thing to have locationally. Home is a good thing to have in general.
I have a locational home in Calgary. I have a spiritual home in Jesus, and in the company of some of the friends with whom I shared the weekend. I have an emotional home in the arms of a friend.
Places of safety all.
It will be good to be home.
(And to those of you who are Canadian, Happy Thanksgiving!)
It's 6:15 am in my home time zone. I've been up since 11:00 pm yesterday in my home time zone. I slept two hours before that. And I slept for two hours or so on the plane from Newfoundland to Toronto.
It was a good weekend. Filled with friends (family, really), laughter, love, prayer and hugs. Some harder things too. But good.
And now, now I'm ready to be home for a while. To settle into life. To rest. To pray and think and write. To sort out several major decisions that need to be made. To begin the process of seeking a community of believers in my own city to call home for a while.
I'm looking forward to my own bed, my own house, my own car (assuming we can get George started after the non-starting debacle that immediately proceeded my weekend away.)
I'm near tears, the good kind and the not so good kind.
I spent a lot of time this weekend in the arms of a dear friend, one of the few people in the world with whom I feel totally safe, and free to be myself. It's always hard to say goodbye to her, and this morning was no exception. But it was such a treat to be with her and be held by her and to hold her even for a few days.
It was great to watch two friends get married. It was great to sit in a tiny cafe by the Atlantic Ocean and laugh and talk over a shared breakfast with friends. It was great to sit in a pub, and a house, and various other locations and share laughter and food. It was good to hike by the ocean.
But now, sitting here in Toronto, half-way through a 2.5 hour layover, I'm waiting for home. I'm looking forward to seeing whichever family member greets me at the airport. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting George jump-started, and then taking him for a drive towards the mountains to charge his battery. I'm looking forward to cooking my own dinner, and then a nice early arrival in bed - in my own bed and bedroom.
One hour to go until my flight boards. Then (hopefully) a couple hours of sleep on the plane. Then Home. A safe place.
Home is a good thing to have locationally. Home is a good thing to have in general.
I have a locational home in Calgary. I have a spiritual home in Jesus, and in the company of some of the friends with whom I shared the weekend. I have an emotional home in the arms of a friend.
Places of safety all.
It will be good to be home.
(And to those of you who are Canadian, Happy Thanksgiving!)
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Wednesday afternoon
Not much time left in what has been a very busy workday.
I get on an airplane headed east at just before midnight tonight.
I'm heading for the Easternmost parts of Canada to connect with friends, and celebrate the wedding of some other friends.
Lots of little things that still need to come together tonight before I get on the plane.
Unexpected things are slowing me down. (George wouldn't start this morning, meaning I had to take the train to work, and will have to take it home.)
But the workday is nearly over, and for that I'm grateful.
Blogging will likely be scarce through the weekend.
I'll be back in Calgary on Monday.
See you then.
I get on an airplane headed east at just before midnight tonight.
I'm heading for the Easternmost parts of Canada to connect with friends, and celebrate the wedding of some other friends.
Lots of little things that still need to come together tonight before I get on the plane.
Unexpected things are slowing me down. (George wouldn't start this morning, meaning I had to take the train to work, and will have to take it home.)
But the workday is nearly over, and for that I'm grateful.
Blogging will likely be scarce through the weekend.
I'll be back in Calgary on Monday.
See you then.
Jesus Living Among Us - Henri Nouwen
Jesus Living Among Us
The Eucharist is the place where Jesus becomes most present to us because he becomes not only the Christ living within us but also the Christ living among us. Just as the disciples at Emmaus who had recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread discovered a new intimacy between themselves and found the courage to return to their friends, we who have received the Body and Blood of Jesus will find a new unity among ourselves. As we realise that Christ lives within us, we also come to realise that Christ lives among us and makes us into a body of people witnessing together to the presence of Christ in the world.
The Eucharist is the place where Jesus becomes most present to us because he becomes not only the Christ living within us but also the Christ living among us. Just as the disciples at Emmaus who had recognised Jesus in the breaking of the bread discovered a new intimacy between themselves and found the courage to return to their friends, we who have received the Body and Blood of Jesus will find a new unity among ourselves. As we realise that Christ lives within us, we also come to realise that Christ lives among us and makes us into a body of people witnessing together to the presence of Christ in the world.
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