An Infusion of Hope

This is an excerpt from the book On The Journey.  My sweet farmer agreed to go through this book with me, one page each day, during our breakfast. And attempt to share his experience with me, as I share with him.

He is not a poet. In fact, he is a simple man of few words. He works with his hands, mostly outdoors, and sleeps indoors. Nothing moves him like music and nature. For him, God - and whatever the theologians pin on that word doesn't mean a whole lot to him - only sings, and plays music, and whispers through our beautiful, mysterious world. (I actually typed word before realizing and changed it to world - I'm so human!). I get his joy of music and nature too, though half of me is gifted or cursed by intrigue of words.  While lectures, presentations, art, and sermons often ignite small fires within me; he often just falls asleep. Not because he's bored or disrespectful, just because it's warm and soft inside, perhaps like a womb where he was rocked, intuitively and primally, to sleep by Mother God.

I used to be highly insulted by his sleeping. (I'm so human!)  Granted sometimes he sleeps to escape, just as I often physically remove myself from conflict and overwhelm. We both do this whether it's mature of us or not.

That is all leading up to this: I'm deeply touched by his trust of our relationship and his willingness to sit with me in my arena of joy, the written word, and participate fully, being as present as possible.

This book is part of my own offerings to the world. I worked with an awesome team in dreaming, editing, creating to bring this book into fruition. I wrote many of the reflection questions to entries, and also have written entries in the book. I hope to soon include the link to purchasing the book on this blog. Stay tuned.

I may use this blog to post some of the farmer's and my musings as we go through this book. With his permission. Including this one.

The above photo is the page for today. We ate our delicious breakfast while reading, taking in the photo, sitting silently together opening our hearts to the reflection questions. Then we shared. I mentioned how appropriate this page was for today, for a time like this. My soul has a candle lit always in solidarity with the most vulnerable in our world. What do I need from God: reassurance, hope, Presence. Words of comfort and trust from others. For most of my ramble Jay was silent. When it was his turn to share, he remained silent. For a   L O N G   time. Just when hints of irritation began humming inside my head, (I'm just so human) he said this.

"I need to see the big buck outside. The one that has been leaving scrapes all over our trees and pawing up the dirt. That's what I need from God."

I smiled. I have seen plenty of red birds when I needed them. But, we have never seen the buck other than in our game camera. We gathered up breakfast dishes to wash later, harnessed up the dogs, and headed toward the lane to walk the half mile to our mailbox. And, there across our lane, standing in a brilliant patch of sunlight at the edge of the wood, was the Eight Point in all his glory. This magnificent buck saw us and simply stood, meeting our gaze. Then, he scraped a nearby tree with his antlers and pawed the ground. A few moments later, he lifted  his head and returned our gaze before walking calmly into the woods.

Sheesh.

Holy ground.

God with antlers and fur, gazing at us! Sending power and strength, hope, wonder and joy straight into our opened hearts.

Luke 11:9  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." 

May you ask, so that you too receive what you need today. May the God of hope and love touch your open, waiting heart.