Joe From New Jersey-Part 2

I decided to attend a Catholic Mass a few weeks ago.
I was 30 minutes late.
So the sitting and standing and crossing
and kneeling and verbal responding
were in mid-swing.

Sometime during the service, I looked to my right.
There was Joe from New Jersey.
Sitting beside him was his daughter.
He didn't see me.
But I saw him.

Hmmmm
What did that mean?

I believe I was in the right place, at the right time.

A wink and a nod from Jesus.
And Mary.

Amen

Inside the Bush

The blueberries are pulling down the branches.
I approach the bush with my plastic bucket hanging over my arm.
With a light touch of my hand, the blueberries let go of their limb, and fall into my palm.
I begin with the limbs at eye level.
"This is so easy."

I spend time with the berries, and contemplate God's goodness.
I try to see Him in everything now.
Since the great day of reckoning. I search out God, it is a quest that I enjoy.

The blueberries are everywhere.
But it seems that the best ones are just out of reach.
Why is this?
I force myself to look only at the ones that I can reach, and pick an entire branch, before moving on.

Soon, I am pulling down the overhead branches, and sliding my hand over the clumps.
I hold my bucket beneath the branch, where they fall, joining the others.
Plunk, plunk, plunk.

After the tall branches are picked, I find myself plunging into the bush.
There are berries, big, full, purple blueberries, surrounding me.
Oh, this is so God! His fullness really does surround me.
I feel so humble. Because I fail to recognize His bounty 99% of the time.

I think of my neighbor, who was pinned under his tractor last week.
And of my friend Robin, who just lost her husband.
I pray for their relief of pain and suffering.
I feel so grateful.

My neighbor, he is fortunate to have a wife that will help care for him when he returns home.
Robin, what a model of true love. She married her husband, knowing he had cancer. They had 6 years together. And he's gone now. Sacrificial love.

The bucket is nearly full now.
And so am I.

Changes

I like to sit on my porch and watch the birds.
And the leaves are nice to look at too.
This morning, I decided to go out on a friend's porch. She has a beautiful horse farm, a lake, a view of the eastern and western horizon. So, yea, I was going to watch the sunrise, read from my current library book, "The autobiography of  Saint Teresa de Avila", and pray a little.
I opened the door, looked to the left, where an inviting green wicker sofa sat, then to my right, where a porch swing hung, then looked straight ahead at the horses standing beside the lake, and zap, something hit my forehead.
I thought it was a stick. Then I realized it was an insect.
"What?" My forehead began to sting."Oh crap, I've been stung."
I looked up to see an angry bunch of wasps swarming. Then it dawned on me. "These guys might not be too happy with me either, I better go back inside real quick!"

I calmly informed my daughter that I was going home to get some Benadryl and then head over to my new high school.

The pain moved out into my temples, my cheeks and even my left ear.
"Damn that wasp!" Then, instead of being angry, I decided to thank the wasp.
My morning was going to go in a different direction...and one never knows what tragedy they are avoiding when something like this occurs.
Also, feeling pain, suffering, and continuing on with whatever the next thing is...well, its my new hallmark for life. Feel the pain and keep going.
I think athletes are taught this when they are in a competitive sport. I used to think it was silly, false bravado.

Knew experiences have created a different perspective.
Feeling the poison go through my head, while continuing on with my day, gave me a sense of victory.

I put half an onion on my head for 20 minutes before leaving the house, though. I choose not to wash of the juice, because I thought it would continue to sooth the stinging. (And I think it did.)
Nevermind that I met with my new department chair, while smelling like a wild onion.
I moved on with my day, forehead flaming. The third eye appeared, red, swollen..I think it must be very allergic to my face, its face.

The day is over now, and I think the wasp did his job, and I did mine, too.

Pity-party over. Feel the pain and keep moving. But its okay to grab an onion and stick that on your forehead if it helps a little.