Shining Spirit

If you Google search “crow intelligence,” here’s what you get. “Crows are some of the smartest creatures in the animal kingdom. They are capable of making rule-guided decisions and of creating and using tools. They also appear to show an innate sense of what numbers are.” Amazing birds! And, they can square dance. I’m not sure if that skill is inherent or if they have to take dancing lessons. You ever taken dance lessons? In late elementary school, maybe fifth grade, it was determined that I needed to know how to dance. I wasn’t part of that conversation. I had no input. If I had gotten wind of it, I would have run away…hopped a freight or joined the circus. But, the arrangement was made and I was told to show up at Mrs. Whitson’s house on a particular day, at a particular time. I did, along with four or five other mortified boys and a like number of shy, but cute, girls. We didn’t learn square dancing, just ballroom stuff, which meant that I had to touch a girl. In time, I got over my reluctance. When I took the picture of the dancing crows, I thought to myself: they’re squawking and jumping and having a grand old time. I would have joined them, but they flew away at my approach. In my human experience, joy and love and peace all make me so happy that I could just dance! Today. Right now. I hope you Do-si-Do through this day, giving thanks for your blessings. Wanna dance?

There is a place I know
where dreams are dreamed
and hopes are hoped,
where forgiveness is served 
fresh daily and patience
is usually plentiful.
Home.

This place is not bound by location,
not defined by boundaries or borders.
It is a launching pad and a secret
refuge, a place where memories
are made and failures forgotten.
Home.

No matter where I roam, I
carry it with me, the hallways,
the fragrances, the sound of the
screen door banging shut,
colors, textures, that squeaking
floor in the bathroom.
Home.

There is a dining room in my mind,
a black wooden table set for eight,
covered by a white lace cloth, the
smells of fried chicken, seasoned
green beans, mounds of mashed
potatoes.  Laughter.  "Here, have
some more.  There's plenty."
A chair for me.
Home.

So nice of my friends to put out the welcome home sign. It’s not that Sue and I have forgotten, but the reminder is appreciated. Home! What a glorious word. To make the welcome home complete was the sound of coyotes chattering just before dawn yesterday. They were a bit out of tune, but, again, the effort was very nice. Thinking of home in the final days in Manzanita and even during the drive home, I was drawn back to the opening words of Psalm 90. Remember? “From generation to generation, God, you have been our home…” Home…not just dwelling place. Home is much greater than a place to sleep at night or a drop-in between work and pleasure. Home is where I find meaning in relationship. It’s the give-and-take of family life, hardships faced, successes celebrated, dreams born, values gained and developed. Dwelling place is lodging; home is heart. And for the spiritually minded, for Christ followers, home is much, much bigger than location. Wherever you are, at any time of night or day, you and I are at home in Christ Jesus, at home in God’s great heart. I appreciate the welcome home sign, and I will listen carefully for the sound of hiss or rattle, but I will listen with great joy for the greetings of friends…here at home.

This is the end of a beautiful day.
Sunlight grows dim and it's time to say
the evening prayer of humble praise,
a thankful word for all the ways
the Spirit of God shows mercy and grace,
calls us by name and gives us a place
at the Kingdom banquet with Christ as our host.
A time for us to brag or boast?
No, I've done nothing to earn my way,
all is gift as I hear God say:
"Come rest at the end of a beautiful day."

Morning arrives with flare and style.
Shafts of light probe for a while,
but then, in the blink of a sleepy eye,
light explodes across the sky.
Birds begin their joyful songs,
deer and antelope sing along.
All the creatures of God's good hand
rejoice in the light filling the land.
The wonder extends for endless miles
as morning arrives with flare and style.

But along with the joy, there is also pain.
Sometimes it seems that suffering reigns,
controls the minds and hearts of those
who give in to worry, their hearts simply close.
With clouded eyes that are not able to see
the path ahead, the reasons to be
thankful amidst the sorrow and pain,
the presence of Christ to heal and sustain
anyone who, in faith and trust,
knows the difference between should and must,
who stands his ground, extends her hand
to care for God's people throughout the land.

Yes, sometimes it seems like a futile fight,
but never give in, press on to The Light.
Evil and falsehood may have their way,
but there comes, in good time, a marvelous day
when light will chase all the darkness away
and the voice of God will be heard to say:
Fear not, my child, you are on the way
into the joy of this brand new day.

In the recent move from Manzanita, OR to Oro Valley, AZ, if I had lost my shoes or my watch or my favorite shirt, life would go on. Not a catastrophe. But, if I lost the little booklet called Password Journal, now that’s a different story. This would be a major event in my life. The journal holds all the top-secret codes and passwords that are meant to provide me with safety and security. Ha! There really was a day, grandchild, when we didn’t have passwords and layers of security to protect us from each other. But that changed when someone found a way to cheat his neighbor, or embezzle from the company. Passwords are necessary inconveniences in an increasingly insecure world.  Even in the days immediately following the resurrection of The Christ, followers were considered dangerous by Roman authorities and were sought out for punishment. Two examples of early Christian “passwords”. If you and I met, in those days, and you wondered if I might be a Jesus Follower, you would take a stick and draw one-half of the Fish symbol on the ground. If I drew the other half, then you would know that I was a brother.  Or, let’s say that you and I met on the street and somewhere in our conversation I would say: ”Jesus is risen” and I would wait for your response. If you replied “He is risen, indeed” I would know I could trust you as a disciple of The Way. I’m very glad we do not live in a society that forces the use of passwords among Christians. But not all cultures are like ours and many, many Christ-followers must worship and live very cautiously. It has been said that the Church was at its strongest when it was under pressure, when it cost something to be a Christian. That was a theme that ran through the teachings of Jesus. But what does it cost us today to follow his way? What sacrifices do I make day by day? The spiritual fervor that Jesus caused and we inherited does not lead to a country club setting but to “password” places where people suffer from injustice and inhumanity. Our calling is to go there with Christ and care for the needs of our neighbor. Anyone who needs is a brother or sister. Even if they don’t know the password.

In case you can’t read the stone in front of this massive California Redwood, it says: Grandfather Tree Age 1800 years  Height 265 Ft.  Diameter 24 Ft. You have to see it in person to believe it. The forests of Redwoods are testimony to the creative genius of Creation. Yet, the little Mesquite is as valuable, the sparrow and the droplet of ocean water. Be thankful today for the giants of history and for your personal encounters with all the wonders around you.  

The crashing plume of water is created by the powerful ocean rushing into a narrow canyon in the rock, perhaps 10 feet deep. The canyon makes a slight curve at the end and stops abruptly. The water has no choice. It slams into the massive rock and explodes upward, creating a sound like a bomb detonating. Then the water retreats and the rock remains, waiting for the next futile assault. Powerful is an understatement when describing the collision of water and stone. At low tide, when the ocean barely creeps onto the soft sandy beach, the rock canyon is exposed, revealing nature’s art hanging from its walls. Starfish of all colors have attached themselves to the walls, dark reds, pinks, almost purple ones create a gallery of living art. Several times I have walked to the end of the canyon, put my hands on the immovable stone that takes the ocean’s attack, then stood back to admire the artistic designs of starfish.

I give thanks for moments when I come, unknowingly, closer to the deep essence of life. I talk all the time, maybe too much, about seeing beauty, strength, power in the daily flow of life. I think recognizing those things is part of our spiritual journey. But, when you move beyond seeing into experiencing, from observing something to being part of it, that is a magnificent moment. Rare? Perhaps, but possible. Those opportunities flourish all around us. Even today, where you are right now, there is something waiting for your deeper discovery. Never close your eyes in night’s sleep until you have looked back over your day and said to yourself, and to God, “that was the moment.” When this kind of recognition happens once, it’s easier for the next time, and easier for the next time. By the way, you don’t have to walk in a rock canyon and see starfish to have this kind of encounter. It’s right where you are. Waiting for you. At the end of this day, may you smile as you fall asleep, knowing that you have lived. Knowing the fullness of Presence.

Affirmation one more time. Today we leave Manzanita and start the drive home. Yesterday when I was making my final trip through the little downtown, I looked toward the ocean and saw this. I knew instantly what was and what it meant. The speed limit along the main street is 20. Knowing how fragile and fast-moving rainbows can be, I went slightly over the speed limit, jumped out of the car, stood in the middle of the street and took picture after picture. I looked down at my iphone/camera to make a slight adjustment and when I looked up, it was gone.

Confirmation
Affirmation
Revelation
A signal to my soul
All is well

Aside from my wife, who is the most important person in my life, there is one item that will travel tomorrow under my close supervision and care. It is a red, three-ring notebook that contains thoughts, reflections, and poems written during our three-month visit in Manzanita. What follows here is the last page in The Manzanita Collection.

     Rejoice and Sing
 When all was said and all was done,
the last star formed, the moon and the sun,
there remained a void, a place apart,
something missing in the sacred heart.

The blessing of God touched creation's core
but there was, without doubt, something more,
something essential to complete the whole,
one last piece of creation's soul.

It was then that God created Music.

The sounds! O, the sounds that filled the skies.
Never before had angels cried
with joyful tears that spilled over the earth
in honor and praise of Music's birth.

The first gifts that Music bestowed upon man
were the pure, perfect notes of The Maker's plan.
No matter what the future may bring,
lift up your heart, your voice, and sing.

Glory to God! Let creation say:
this is a most remarkable day.
For when, in time, if plagued by wrong,
we possess the gift of sacred song.

Let the universe sing, let the cosmos rejoice
for we now can hear the heavenly voice
in the notes of Music's gifts.

    Sing today at the top of your voice!

One more day in the Magical Kingdom of Manzanita. Day after tomorrow we drive away from our three month adventure, known as winter on the Oregon coast. A store clerk gave me a funny look the other day and said: ”Don’t you have this just backwards? Most people go to Arizona for the winter, and you come here?” And I’d do it again. I’ve filled a large, red three-ring-binder with poems, reflections and prayers, taken hundreds of photographs (one seagull looks like another), lived rather spontaneously, which is somewhat new for me. I usually plan my spontaneity. The space, time, and place have allowed me to collect a book of prayers titled “Songs of My Soul” and to publish “Singing To The Mountain,” a small collection of poems. Sue and I have encountered some very interesting people, eaten a lot of great seafood, walked with the Spirit in ways not possible in the desert, discovered some things about ourselves and confirmed that we are very fortunate and blessed to walk the beach together for all these years. 

Yes, how thankful we are for the gifts of these three months. But you know what? It’s true. There’s no place like home. You don’t know how much you value something special until you don’t have it anymore. That’s why blessing each other right now, and often, is so important. The “I love you” or “I forgive you” or “Thank you” or “I’m proud of you” can never be said too much. This sabbatical to the sea, given and received as blessing, is an affirmation of The Source of all blessing. Among the many important statements in the Christian scripture is this: We love because He first loved us. The capacity to love, while inherent in our human makeup, finds its expression when we realize how much and to what depth we are loved. We are loved to love. We are blessed to bless. Maybe the fullness of life is just that: recognizing love received in order to give it away. May this day be such a time of awareness for you. Thanks be to God for the remarkable gift of this moment.