The way to love someone
is to lightly run your finger over that person's soul
until you find a crack,
and then gently pour your love into that crack.
~Keith Miller

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

one thousand gifts ... again

Started reading this book with a ton of enthusiasm.  The writing style, her way of expressing ideas, made for a slow start as I struggled to adapt my sensibilities to the timbre of her soul's song.  The book sat, with the lovely robin's egg nest, face up on my bedside table.   Then, serendipity painted a smear ... the book is controversial in (c)hristian quarters because of some ideas expressed in the final pages ... hmmm, I tend to make up my own mind about stuff like this, but, we all got burned by Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea ... I wondered ... but I didn't make time to think about it much, because Galileo was looking at me ... with a question in his eyes ... why wrestle with gratitude when I offer you a peek at the stars? Why indeed?!

This morning I woke up at my usual four o'clockish. I prayed for the people I love. My heart said their names as I thanked God for each of them ... I remembered gratitude.

(Here is a random thought ... I say I prayed for those people who I love ... and that is true ... I love them unconditionally, which is love to me, and that is why this component of trust niggles. Ummm ... God loves me, but I am certain that even as much as I desire to be faithful ... God loves me knowing that He can not trust me to cherish His love as it should be cherished ... He does not require more then I am capable of as He grows me towards being more capable of love in general. I love people who I do not trust ... for whatever deficiency ... and I have trusted people who I do not know well enough to love very much at all ... and there are relationships where both trust and love are present ... it does seem to me that the two support each other). Love. Love and trust are not mutually inclusive. They strengthen each other. They feel really good together.

... and I remembered a story I came across yesterday, summarized by this true statement: No one is printing more time. The time of your life is measured only by the love you give away, so make sure you always have time enough for love. ~ Rev. Donald Sensing

... Well, anyway, the 1000 gifts idea seems like a good discipline ... Intentional gratitude. I'm going to do it ... All 1000 of them ...

Today ...
1. Sitting in the sushi bar with my three daughters ... last lunch before school begins again. We were the only diners in house at three while exact same song played over and over ... and over ... again. One daughter began swaying in her seat and singing nonsensical words along with the Oriental musak ... Another quickly joined in ... soon all three. It was so funny. I was laughing so hard that my eyes teared up. We were all laughing. "Okay, when I'm really really old if a stroke leaves me unable to speak and y'all see me folded over laughing and you wonder what could possible be so funny ... it's this ... I will be remembering this ... y'all." Later we pile in to the car, Rev is driving and from the backseat C says, "You know ... That probably wasn't very nice ... I mean, if a table full of people who speak only Mandarin where some how singing along to some song I really liked enough to play back to back continuously for an hour ... with made up messed up sort of English sounds ... it might make me feel bad." Yeah ... Nice kid. It was still really funny.
2. Right now ... Rubbing my feet back and forth across my sheets ... Feels so good.
3. Revel and V shopped together this evening for a first day back outfit. First time ever, V came in the front door waving her package and saying, "Be right back ... Wait'llyouseethis! How cool. Loved that.

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