woundology

“We are not meant to stay wounded.

We are supposed to move through our tragedies and challenges

and to help each other move through the many painful episodes of our lives.

By remaining stuck in the power of our wounds, we block our own transformation.

We overlook the greater gifts inherent in our wounds--

the strength to overcome them and the lessons that we are meant to receive through them.

Wounds are the means through which we enter the hearts of other people.

They are meant to teach us to become compassionate and wise.”

- Carolyn Myss

from her book “Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can”

– this excerpt was taken from here

 i took this photo from the reject pile at the statuary.

surely we don’t want to remain frozen in our pain.

we are not our wounds.

vacuum man

It's just not possible to love God in a vacuum.

We need each other. We need community.

photo of vacuum man outside a store

in south carolina from here.

Belong!

To Belong - Oh, how we want to belong!

To fit into a group, a family, a church, a job, or a relationship.

Too many of us just don't belong.

Today on this last Sunday of the liturgical calendar we focus on Christ as King;

Christ, whose kingship was not based on wielding power, but on serving.

Christ, who never truly belonged anywhere.

Christ, to whom we ALL belong.

May you find your sense of belonging in Christ,

the King who delights in you.

doesn't that photo make you say, "ahhhh?"

Prayer for the Aged

For the Aged

Look with mercy, O God our Father,

on all whose increasing years bring them weakness, distress, or isolation.

Provide for them homes of dignity and peace;

give them understanding helpers,

and the willingness to accept help;

and, as their strength diminishes,

increase their faith and their assurance of your love.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

I read this prayer today on The Daily Office.

What struck me were these words,

"and the willingness to accept help"

Why is that so difficult for us?

Shouldn't someone know me?

While wandering through a Seattle area nursery which is famous for its Christmas displays, my daughter and I bumped into a group of senior citizens who were on a field trip of sorts. An  elderly women stopped right in front of me and asked in an almost accusing tone,  "Do you know me?" I said, "I'm sorry, no I don't" and we stepped aside to let the group pass us.

Several minutes later our paths crossed again and the same woman stepped towards me, searched my face, and said, "What's your name?"  When I told her she replied, "I had a name once but it was not the one I wanted" and then, "Are you my niece?" I said "No, I'm afraid I'm not your niece," while her caregiver took her arm and gently guided her back to the rest of the group who were continuing their trek through the Christmas displays. My daughter and I exchanged empathetic glances as we realized the level of this woman's distress.

A third encounter came to pass within another ten minutes. I had my back turned when I heard the questioning woman talking to my daughter. She said, "Do you know me?" My daughter tried to comfort her and as I walked towards them the anxious woman looked around and then toward the ceiling and said in a very loud voice, "Shouldn't someone know who I am?"

I wondered how many in the store were wondering the same thing but were not voicing it.  This woman was distraught because of an illness that was claiming her memories.  What about those of us who keep ourselves just busy enough to not have to think about our own fears?  of not being known?  of not being wanted?  of not being loved?  From the words of this stranger came the best gift.  The reminder that the one who knows who we are is of the now and the not yet.  So with eyes focused on the star in the East, may our footsteps remain headed toward that stable where we are all known and loved. 

Etty Hillesum

"Life may be brimming over with experiences, but somewhere, deep inside, all of us carry a vast and fruitful loneliness wherever we go. And sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inward in prayer for five short minutes."

- Etty Hillesum, An Interrupted Life, p.93 -

p.s. great book!...and the artwork is by joan baer - here are her words from her site....'As an artist, I am looking with loving eyes at faces, hoping, through the ritual of memorial, to rediscover and redistill their beauty and originality, and ultimately to come to meet the living souls that are always available, never lost. My task is, through the ritual of memorial, the faith in eternity, and the power of friendship itself, to build a bridge over the vast, immobilizing sea of horror, grief, and denial that paralyzes us in the face of violence – of racism and genocide – that will allow us to move toward the joy and love we naturally feel for all of creation, and for young creatures in particular."