Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘ordinary’

Lesson in a Meditation Garden

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , on April 17, 2011| 2 Comments »

It had been One of Those Days. The stress level at work had been exceptionally high, there was an unexpected expense at home, emails from both kids’ colleges announced a tuition hike, and I had cheated on my diet so much that the pants I thought I was going to wear to work wouldn’t zipper up all the way.

My mood after work as I traveled on the Parkway toward my evening class at the Mercer School of Theology could best be described as, well, grumpy. God was nowhere in my mind as I churned on the negative things of the day. “Stupid pants” I grumbled.

Surprisingly, the traffic was cooperative that late afternoon, and I pulled the car into the parking lot with a half hour to spare before needing to be inside. The sun was still up, and it wasn’t too chilly on this early Spring day. Needing a mental adjustment before class, I decided to use the free time to walk about the grounds of the Cathedral.

I headed across the lawn toward a bench in the distant meditation garden, and then sat down when I reached it.  The sun was warm on my face. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and then took another one, using a centering trick taught by a friend. The stress started to melt away.

I opened my eyes and was able to see more clearly around me. The bushes had hints of green showing, the trees had tiny buds. In the middle of the lawn, there was an area where crocuses had started to open, and the leaves of the daffodils had broken through the ground. I walked over, and squatted down to take a closer look at the blossoms – bright colors beamed up at me. One of the flowers had pushed through a small pile of leaves to reach the daylight. I admired the tenacity of the crocus – it didn’t give up, even under challenging growing conditions. A mockingbird sang its repertoire from a nearby tree branch, cheerful even at the end of the day. I remembered positive things from my day: the kindness of a co-worker, a smile from a stranger, the driver who let me cut ahead of him into the long line of traffic. I walked back across the lawn toward the school building.

I sat near the window in the classroom. From my seat, I could see the Cathedral. My eyes surveyed the architecture, and then were drawn to the cross at the top of the spire. Normally bright with the reflection of the sun during the day, the cross was now glowing with the angle of the setting sun. Glowing. It was somehow reassuring, and I knew things would be okay.

If I took the time to look around me, I’ll see God in the miracle of new growth, a smile, a kindness, the song of a bird, the setting of the sun. He’s always with me. Even on a stress filled day, when I push Him out, He shows himself; I only need to open my eyes. I can find Him in simple, ordinary things.

© Diane L. Neuls DeBlasio 2011

Read Full Post »

The Shopping Cart Lady

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

She’s known simply as “The Shopping Cart Lady”. A neighborhood eccentric, no one seems to know her name, where she lives, or where she goes to at night with her cart. Sightings of her walking along the main drag through town, or at the local shopping center, are casual conversation: ”Hey, I saw The Shopping Cart Lady today at _____.” 

The Shopping Cart Lady is a petite, rather frail looking elderly lady. Her frailty is deceiving; she quickly pushes a metal shopping cart, filled to overflowing with plastic bags, blankets, a pillow, and a dozen more bags tied around the outside, along the busy roadways around town. From my vantage point in the car, she always seems to wear a lot of clothes, no matter what the weather.

It happened that one day I saw her and her cart on the sidewalk parked two doors down from the donut shop I was going to for my coffee fix. She was standing in front of her cart, one hand holding on, facing the parking lot. I’d have to pass her and the cart to get to where I wanted to go.

This was the closest I’d ever been to The Shopping Cart Lady. I felt uncomfortable; it was easier to see her from my car window as I drove past rather than facing her oddity so near. Up close, she seemed even more eccentric than from a distance:  Her hair was unkempt, and she was wearing layers of clothing: a shirt, two unbuttoned sweaters and two unbuttoned coats, a couple of skirts of different lengths, mismatched socks, and well-worn shoes. As I self consciously nodded a “hello” to her, in her face I saw years of struggle. She continued to stare straight ahead.

“Why doesn’t someone do something about her?” I thought judgmentally as I entered the shop.

The donut place was busy, and I quickly forgot about her as I waited in line.

After getting my coffee order, I left the store.  Ahead of me on the sidewalk, I saw a teenage girl speaking to The Shopping Cart Lady.  The Shopping Cart Lady was looking suspiciously at the teenager.

The girl must have been in the donut place ahead of me, because next thing I saw was her smiling as she held out a bag with the shop logo on it, and a fresh cup of coffee.

The Shopping Cart Lady look startled at first, then gratefully reached for the offerings. She smiled back at the teenager, who waved as she continued on to her car, empty-handed, having given her breakfast to The Shopping Cart Lady.

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35

© Diane L. Neuls DeBlasio 2011

Read Full Post »

God in the Ordinary on a Hiking Trail

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Be still, and know that I am God!  Psalm 46:10

We could hear the roar of the waterfalls before we saw them. Climbing over large rocks at Overlook 1, we reached the top, and then peered over the railing to the wonder before us. “Awesome” was a word which didn’t come close to describing the view of the Potomac River as it fell over a series of steep, jagged rocks, building up speed and force as it flowed through the narrow gorge.  The water level was low, so more rocks than usual were exposed, giving an impressive show for the viewer.

My sister Tricia and I were at Great Falls National Park in Virginia. We were joined at the Overlook by several families with children of all ages, small groups of college students, and couples our parents’ age. Excited voices commented on the size, speed and power of the falls.  The force of the water was shown by the debris it carried – a tree trunk and huge tree branches were caught up in the rocks, brought there by the powerful force of the water.

Looking for a quieter trail after leaving the Overlook, we followed a rocky path along the top of the cliff. We spotted a place which allowed us to hike down to the water through a steep, narrow gap. At the water’s edge, looking back toward the falls, the sight of the falls from the ground view was breathtaking.  As we climbed back up the gap to the trail, we noticed several trees which had been fallen by the fierce thunderstorm which had swept through the area the night before. Tall, mature trees had been toppled. A few were leaners, caught by the tree branches of a neighboring tree before they could hit the ground. Elsewhere we spotted tree limbs, twisted by the wind from their trunk, dangling dangerously overhead.

We continued our hike on the cliffs, along shade covered, twisting, turning paths, climbing over rocks when necessary. As we walked, we were amazed by the many trees which grew out of the rocks around us, some so large that the rocks were split open where the tree grew through them.

Taking a detour off the main trail, we decided to eat our picnic lunch in a bright spot about 75 feet above the water. We sat on a large rock warmed by the sun. We were downriver, below the falls where the river was calmer. It was quieter, off the beaten path, a gentle stillness in this space. We became quieter, too, and our eyes opened to more than we had realized was around us. As we ate, we noticed the smaller wonders around us: a tiny cedar tree was growing in the rich soil left in the crevice of a rock by receding flood waters; beautiful tiny yellow and purple flowers grew in the harsh environment. On the tree next to us, we watched industrious ants form a column going up and then down the trunk. We couldn’t figure out what they were doing for food. Tricia put a crumb from her sandwich into the bark; silently we watched to see what would happen. Within a few minutes, the crumb was covered with ants which may have thought they hit the jackpot.

Tricia quietly pointed to a bird on the Maryland side of the river. As she pointed, a dragonfly came near us. We stayed still, and watched as the dragonfly gently hovered, then landed on Tricia’s outstretched finger.  It stayed there for a magical minute, and then flew off.

It was at this point that I realized I had been focusing on the largeness around me – the waterfalls, the huge rocks, and towering trees. Yet, God was also in the small, quiet places. I had to take the time to sit quietly and be still, to see them.

© Diane L. Neuls DeBlasio 2011

Read Full Post »

God in the Ordinary On a Beach Walk

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on April 4, 2011| 2 Comments »

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16    


Crunch, crunch, crunch. My sneakers sounded a cheerful rhythm as I walked west along the water’s edge on the ocean beach in the early evening. During the day it had been cool and rainy; the sun had finally come out after suppertime. It was still cool, yet the welcomed sun warmed my face.

I was following Jesus’ example of going to a quiet place to pray. I needed to regroup, refocus after a rather hectic day.

Seeing God in the Ordinary was a theme that kept popping up in sermons I was hearing, devotions I was reading. Where would I see Him at the beach? As I walked, I emptied my mind. I let God fill it as He wished.

The steady roar of the ocean and the crashing of the waves on the sandy beach were a constant companion as I walked. My sneakers left their marks on the hard sand, just out of reach of the breaking waves. The tide was low and still going out.

The area ahead of me shared stories of the past few hours in the footprints left behind. I found myself praying for the anonymous people who had left the impressions in the sand.

A pair of large sneaker prints with tiny zigzagging dog prints next to them had me smiling as I visualized a hyper little dog being walked on a leash by its patient master.

A family had been by. The footprints left by the kids showed a game of tag had been played with the water. I fondly remembered the games my own children had played with the ocean when they were younger.

Seagulls and plovers had left their footprints, too, as they fed from the gifts of the sea. Ahead of me, I watched as four plovers created fresh prints as they chased the receding waves, their beaks drilling into the sand. When the next wave came upon the shore, the birds scurried up, turned, and chased the wave back out to the ocean, drilling again.

Further up the beach was evidence of a sand castle, the moat dug with a couple of large clam shells left next to it. I looked closer and saw from the footprints that it was adults who created the castle. I smiled at their youthful joy on the ocean front.

A pile of rocks had been tossed ashore by the pattern of the current. The stones, in a variety of colors, were smooth from being tossed in the surf for so many years. 

Clam, oyster, and scallop shells, all colors, shapes, sizes, decorated the beach. Evidence left behind showed that the occupant of a clamshell had been dinner for a hungry seagull.

The tide started to turn and I headed back, retracing my steps, walking higher up the beach as the waves crashed further up the shore with the incoming tide. In only minutes, the prints I had left when traveling the opposite direction were gone, erased by the tide.

I had gratefully become aware of the Lord’s presence in many unexpected places at the beach: the life-giving ocean, the power of the tide, the wildlife, the warmth of the sun. The footprints told many stories of His love and grace toward us. God is in the Ordinary at the beach.

© Diane L. Neuls DeBlasio 2011

Read Full Post »

Seeing God in the Mud

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on April 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“…all things can be done for the one who believes!” Mark 9:23 

 “1….2….3! Gentle accelerator, Kathy!” I called from behind the car to my daughter in the driver’s seat. “Push, Mike!”  Kathy gave the car gas; my son and I pushed from the back as hard as we could, our feet slipping in the mud. The front tires spun madly, splattering mud on my coat, splotching some onto my glasses. The car sank deeper into the winter-thawed ground. 

“Stop! Stop!” I yelled to my daughter, who let off the gas. Exhausted, Mike and I stood up. Stepping carefully through the muck, we walked up the slight incline to the front of the car, to figure out what our next step would be.

We were in a wooded area, accessed by a rutted road. As the driver, I had left the road to turn around, not realizing that the ground in the area I picked for the maneuver had thawed during these extraordinary warm winter days. I realized what a terrible mistake I had made when the car was facing up the slight incline, and I couldn’t get it to move forward in the soft earth.

We had been trying, unsuccessfully, for about 30 minutes to get the car out. No luck.

“You two stay here. I’m going to see if anyone is home in that house up ahead.” I slipped as I moved along the car, adding more grime to my jeans. My white sneakers were now caked with mud, coat splattered. Mike was just as filthy. I was really annoyed at myself for getting us into this literal mess. I headed toward the house, praying that someone would be home to help us, because it was the only house that I could see.

“Lord, I need some help here” I said, knowing that only two of us pushing couldn’t get the car out. I reached the house. No one was home.

When I returned to the car, we tried a few more things, no success. The sun was getting lower in the sky. Kathy handed me my cell phone to call a tow truck.

As I was getting ready to make the call, Mike heard some voices and scanned the area. He spotted three young men in the distance, walking through the woods, and called to them for help. They turned from their path and headed toward us.  

“Wow!”  they said, as they reached the car and surveyed the mess we were in. They agreed to help. Mike gave each one of us a place to be around the car. The five of us stepped into the now ankle-deep mud, braced ourselves, and then Kathy gently pressed the accelerator. 

Slowly, centimeter by centimeter, the car moved forward as we cheered encouragement to each other to continue pushing.  Kathy got the car to solid ground, and then put it in park. We gratefully thanked the young men as they headed back to continue their hike, stomping mud off their sneakers and jeans as they walked. 

God was in those three young people, who stopped to help strangers in a messy situation. I had asked Him for help, putting my own expectations about where it should come from. Yet God provided us with what we needed; we just had to keep looking. 

© Diane L. Neuls DeBlasio 2011

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts