Dear Family and Friends,
God seemed intent on stirring me up this week. The experiences that have presented themselves have taken me to deep levels of grief, to memories of extreme anger from the past, to elation over the possibility of that trip to China I'd been dreaming about. I feel a bit wrung out, as a result, but I think this is a good thing.
The possible trip to China is highmost in my mind right now. I received a letter Friday from the People to People Ambassador Programs. Someone has nominated me to be a delegate for an international professional and cultural program related to women in society. I'm wondering if one of you reading this letter was the loving soul who has made this inviting experience possible. The conference will run from December 9-21, leaving from L.A. I made an appointment with Glenda Williams, the Academic Assistant Principal, this morning about the possibility of missing my last class before Christmas break and my semester exam. I had already consulted with Barbara Dupont, my department head, about the logistics of missing these two classes. Quickly, and with the hand of God in it, it's all coming together rapidly. I will talk to my Merrill Lynch advisor on Thursday about pulling the funds together to go. Glenda Williams just went on a similar junket two summers ago, and she said the price is good. She also filled me in on a lot details about what this trip will be like. I'm just feeling that it's too good an opportunity to pass up. This trip would combine meeting people from around the world with seeing sights that I've only seen in movies.
President Eisenhower started this Ambassador Program during his administration in the 1950's. He believed that if people from different cultures met face to face and with good will that world peace would ensue. A private organization continues promoting this idea through these various professional programs. If you're interested yourself in pursuing this kind of travel, go to www.ambassadorprograms.org. The itinerary for my trip can be pulled up. I will be traveling to three cities--Beijing, Guiyang, and Shanghai, seeing many of the famous sights, but what most appeals to me about this kind of trip is that I'll also be interfacing with people from China and people from lots of other places, too. I can't help but think that God has some kind of plans for me in this endeavor. I can take a guest with me so if you should have the time and the money for travel in December, please let me know right away. Otherwise, I'll be traveling on my own over to China in December, but I know I won't be alone...
I plan, on this trip, to upgrade my cell phone to one that I can use while in China. Glenda was able to make calls the whole time she was in China, although she said the 15-hour time difference makes timing calls difficult. Knowing that any rental issues could be dealt with in this manner gives me more ease of mind. The dates of this trip are so good for my being away from R & L Leasing. Rents will have come in and been deposited and recorded, and bills will all be paid in advance. I see this trip as God's invitation to go out and meet some people.
Friday, before this exciting letter arrived, I had another fulfilling thing occur. My son Will was over in Orange, Texas, on a job for Trane, and he invited me to meet him for lunch. This is a first, and I hope it won't be the last. I loved getting to run over to Orange, a thirty-minute drive away, and spend an hour with Will and his friend John. (See Photo #1) I've known Will now for almost 13 years, and we're more and more scratching the surface in sharing our lives with one another. I feel so blessed to have him in my life.
The Grief Workshop that I attended at my church last Tuesday night taught me that I still have grieving to do about giving Will up when he was a baby. In recounting my story about the losses in my life, I stirred up tears at many junctures, including this one. I also cried about my later infertility and losing so much when I lost Craig. Revisiting these old wounds was a cleansing thing, I feel. Interestingly, I seem all cried out about Ray. I feel I've mourned Ray in the healthiest way I've ever grieved anyone. He was such a positive chapter to my life. I'm so glad I've come full cycle through the mourning cycle to remembering him with such good thoughts. Losing Craig was even worth it because I found Ray in the end. The people who have volunteered their time to bring this Grief Workshop to First Presbyterian are wonderful people. They opened and closed the session with a man playing a Native American flute. It will be calling me back again soon. I'm so sorry that I have to miss the session tomorrow night. I'll be back the next week.
Another very moving experience that I feel God brought into my life this week was the Women's Spirituality and Anger Retreat that Judy Savoie facilitated yesterday at the home of Eileen Cormie's parents. (See Photo #2) The Women of Spirit gathered for a long afternoon to look deeply into a time when anger came up, a time when anger got resolved and how it got resolved. Again, my infertility and losing Craig over it was what came up for me. I don't think I had ever thought until yesterday about how angry that whole situation made me--angry with Craig for leaving me over infertility and angry with God for seemingly punishing me for my teenage pregnancy. Again, I feel cleansed through this kind of process. Dredging it up and verbalizing it, somehow this takes some of the power away. God obviously knows what He's doing in guiding me to these places.
A broccoli soup supper was served after the closing ritual of blessing each other's hands with dust. We had each brought a soup bowl to exchange with another Theresian. The person who contributed the bowl we each picked became our prayer partner for the year. I picked Brenda Veazey's beautiful cobalt blue painted bowl, and Rachel Rauland picked the heart-shaped cobalt bowl I had brought. I'll be praying for both of these women, and I hope they will hold me in their prayers, too. I drove by The Gardens on my way home, and on a whim, I popped in for a short visit with Elday Latiolais, my dear friend. I caught her at a good time, and she told me all about the 50th Anniversary celebration at Lady of Good Counsel that she'd attended that day. I, of course, was bubbling over about China.
It was interesting, the progression I took in deciding that this China trip was feasible. When the Pelzers saw me Friday night for dinner at Archie's, I was still in the mode of I can only do this if more Mesothelioma money comes in, but after investigating further and talking to more people, I decided that the signs are just too clear that this is the time for me to go. Everything is thankfully falling into place for me to do it now.
In this week of so much soul-searching in me, God also gave me a day to contemplate at home. I couldn't believe it when I awakened on Thursday morning and found out that school was closed. Hurricane Humberto surprised us all with its quickly forming into a hurricane so close to shore and barreling its way through people's homes west of here. When I drove over to Orange on Friday, I saw Interstate signs that were down, and I know it was even worse in Beaumont. Anyway, I stayed home all day Thursday, didn't venture out until choir practice time. The hurricane for us, though was a non-event. It was downpouring when I got up at 5:45 a.m., but by 7:00 a.m. it had stopped, and it never did rain again. They were predicting up to 15 inches of rain, and that's why schools closed, but it never happened. God had to have had a hand in that...
The day before I had spent with Diane Pelzer at The Eye Clinic again. She had her right eye zapped this time, and with that procedure, she's now done with this long ordeal of getting the cataracts out of her eyes. She told me Friday that she can read again--at last!! She and I had lunch that day and did a little shopping as usual. (See Photo #3) There are still some really good 75% off sales going on. There's nothing like a good bargain.
Wednesday night, I attended the Family Night Supper at church. (See Photo #4) I love the feel of this kind of gathering. Everybody brings something, and when it's all laid out, there's something for everyone's tastes. I think we all have happy memories of these dinners from childhood, and we get to continue them as adults. The evening's entertainment was based on apples, an autumn fruit. Carolyn Sharp comes up with really cute ideas to make us all laugh and enjoy ourselves. A questionnaire on little-known apple facts, along with bobbing for apples, was on the agenda. (See Photos #5 & #6) Lots of people, including Rev. Seay, got into the act. It was hilarious.
Celena Perry, Phyllis Morgan, and I tried everything to find someone to take Cissie McLeod's place when we went to the theater on Saturday night, but nobody turned up. We were a threesome this time. (See Photo #7) The play we went to see was one by Neil Simon's daughter, Ellen, called "Moonlight and Valentino." We came away feeling like she must have been coasting on the laurels of her dad in getting this play published because the lines were really bad. They were often the kind of lines that were so awful that they made you groan. I felt sorry for the actors trying to bring life into this story. Valentino was very cute, though...
The reason my letter this week is an evening letter is because of all my activity toward this China trip and because of Open House at St. Louis tonight. I may have only eight senior girls this year in my class, but I think all their parents showed up. I was sorry we only had seven minutes and I didn't get to talk personally to each of them. (See Photo #8) I gave my spiel, which I never really plan out word for word. I just trust that whatever I'm supposed to say, God will trigger the scripts in my mind. I did get across that I'm very happy to be teaching their children this particular course. It's the favorite of my teaching career.
My rental business has been quiet in recent days. A burned out fluorescent light is the only thing I heard about this week. Ted has bought the paint and caulk to get started on my bathroom renovation. He's asked me to go pick out a faucet for my sink, which I'll do tomorrow. He's giving me the gift of his labor for this project for my birthday present. I'm very grateful, but don't really look forward to the temporary upheaval. It's a good time to do it, though. As I said, things have been quiet with my tenants this week. Just please keep Abba in your prayers with this. She loves to climb into the upper echelons often, (See Photo #9) and she'll have to be locked up while Ted and his helper are in the house.
I hope all goes well with each of you. When I gather my thoughts each week to write this letter, I think of all of you who will receive it and possibly have time to read and enjoy it. You're in my heart...
Love, Linda
"Whatever you do may seem insignificant,
but it is most important that you do it."
--Gandhi
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment