listening

I have no idea which direction this post is going in.  Just sitting down and letting it write itself.

Got some of the comings and goings out of the way.  I went.

  

Do you think God lives here? 

 

Or maybe here - next to the rain storm? 

I could take pictures out of airplane windows forever.  Each minute is a new and more beautiful view.  I imagine my seatmate thought I was a little weird.  I'm probably the only grown-up snapping pictures out the window.  It's just clouds, anyway.  Of course, if she was thinking things about me, I had my own thoughts.  I haven't flown much, but I've never seen anyone curl up on two airplane seats and try to sleep.  I was tired, but I thought that looked like a lot of work - trying to sleep like that.

So my flight was actually early, though my shuttle driver got stuck in killer traffic and got a little lost/turned around.  I mean, I gave them the address when I made my reservation.  Don't ask ME for directions.  I kinda, sorta know where I'm going, since I've been here before, but I'm a long way from home!

It is oh-so-quiet here.  I dropped my luggage on the sidewalk by my room, and walked on to find my friend or someone with a key.  I was hit with quiet.  Shhhhh...... It's its own brand of quiet.   I ate dinner alone with the hum of the refrigerator and the twitter of birds outside.  And these two little guys.  Aren't they precious?

It is quiet enough to hear God.  

Bed notwithstanding, I am well taken care of and very comfortable.  The boiled eggs in the fridge were ALREADY PEELED!  I had requested reading material (a past issue of a magazine that they get) waiting on my bed, and something of equal interest in the drawer of the nightstand.  Maybe the Holy Spirit sent it?  I have a FAST internet connection, but am trying to limit the time that gets sucked up by a computer.

I went to the chapel mid-morning to pray.  I was the only one there.  And even without A/C it was comfortable.  I carefully selected my spot, and then I aimed the fan my way.  Wonderful quiet.  Like one-on-one with God time.  I prayed for my friends and their needs - the ones who sent me requests.  I added in some extras for some of them.  Some of them asked for very little for themselves.  I laughed at the fact that two of them (both educators) asked me to pray for "sanity".  Does that say something?

Don't worry.  I'll pray for the ones who didn't send requests later. 

I wonder if you can pray with pictures?   The chapel is small, and I took a good many last year when I was here, but there were more today.  When I go to pray, I take my camera.  Usually there is something I want to try to capture.

Before Mass early this morning, I was sitting, looking at this. 

I was trying to figure out the "P" word at the top.  I couldn't quite get it.  "Prioress?" I wondered.  "Or maybe "Priorities?"  I knew that wasn't it.  But then my mind wandered off to the root word - Pri/Prior... who knows, and that it must mean "first" or "above".  Mass starts, and the homily is about ...... priorities and putting God first.  Coincidence?

Putting God first.  Something we know intellectually, but have such a hard time with in practice.

The word itself - nothing to do with priorities or being first.  Does this help?  

Probably not.  I'm going out on a limb and guessing it has something to do with poverty, and that the three words taken together are Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience?  Probably more about being last than first.

How about this?  I have a picture of this statue from last year.  But it doesn't capture the look of tenderness that you see here.  

God speaks through His Word, too.  I mean, really, that makes sense?  Using Words to speak?

What's jumped out at me today? 

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn. ~ Psalm 51   Always good to know.  Especially comforting if one is thinking about confession.

...seek him in integrity of heart. ~ Wisdom 1:1  Just something to remember.  Can't play games with God.

And maybe there will be more...if I listen.