Patches of You

Posted on September 23, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Sometimes
— let’s face it, a lot of times–
I think I would be happier,
if life wasn’t clouded
with conflict,
unsolved problems,
deadlines, tension,
and unpleasant feelings.

Sometimes life just works.
Things fall into place.
We have summer days of endless sky
with no dark clouds anywhere.

I want to live there

and if I’m not there,
I think something’s wrong
or, to be more specific,
I’m doing something wrong.

But it isn’t so You tell me
through sages and poets.
Clouds come and go
but that sky of endless blue
remains–
surrounding all
within all
within You
within me.

When I return to rest within
and see the view from there,
I’m more able to find
patches of You
in everything.

We like to imagine that it’s possible for life to be one eternal summer, and that we have uniquely failed to achieve that for ourselves. We dream of an equatorial habitat, forever close to the sun; an endless, unvarying high season. But life’s not like that.
–Katherine May, Wintering

May I receive the love of Your presence in everything that is.
May I offer love to everything that is.
May your peace envelop my entire being.
And may the longing of my heart take me deeper into You.
–Anonymous

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

I loved listening to Krista Tippett’s interview with Katherine May about wintering.

Here’s another quote from Katherine’s book. “Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximising scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.”

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Menacing” by Rachel Gardner.Used with permission.
“Dark Clouds” by Walt Stoneburner. Used with permission
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
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Smug Mode

Posted on September 16, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

So we got to climb one more mountain after all. And not just any mountain–Black Tusk. Bagging this peak is not just a walk in the (Garibaldi) Park. You have to backpack 9.5 kilometres and up 900 metres to a base camp and then hike 7.5 more kilometres up another 800 metres through alpine meadows and a scree slope, and then scramble up “the chimney.”

There was a fair bit of talk amongst the hikers (predominately aged 40 and under) about this climb. “The Tusk is way too scary,” said one. Another said, “A fellow that climbed Robbie Reid said Black Tusk was too risky.”

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We didn’t intend to climb the Tusk. But when we found out the trail to Mt. Price was flooded and impassable, we headed to Panorama Ridge with everyone else.

But Fred doesn’t like doing what everyone else does. We hadn’t gone fifty metres when he said, “What the heck. Let’s do the Tusk.”

We climbed the Tusk decades ago. I remembered being a little freaked out. I also remembered the spectacular view from the top. “Let’s do it,” I said.

So we did. Even though my body was older, it had more memories of taking life one step at a time. As long as I felt secure on this rock and had a good handhold there, I could take the next step.

You can imagine that we seniors felt pretty proud of ourselves. We were definitely in smug mode.

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View from the top of Black Tusk

We hiked down enjoying views of Garibaldi Lake and Garibaldi Mountain, crossed over streams and passed by fields of wildflowers still blooming. The summer was coming to an end. Yet I felt the tug to keep playing. After all, don’t people our age get to do that?

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Garibaldi Lake and Garibaldi Mountain

Before we headed back to the city, we camped for two nights at Alice Lake and rested. Well, Fred rested. I wrote my blog post, prepped for a podcast, wrote up my verbatim for peer supervision, worked on some material I was presenting for Living from the Heart, and read over the opening chapters of The Ignatian Adventure, since I was preparing to lead a directee through the Spiritual Exercises.

In that reading, I was reminded of Ignatius’ call to do the greater good for God’s glory. Ignatius gave up “vain pursuits” to serve the poor and help people experience God’s love and find their life’s purpose through praying the Exercises.

While I wouldn’t call being outside hiking and biking a vain pursuit, that isn’t all I want to do with my life.

Right on cue, a few days later, Pastor Ruth preached on the value of setting aside our personal freedoms for the sake of others. And haven’t I seen that theme in episode after episode of Stranger Things? (Gotta keep up with the grandkids, you know.)

A part of me would really like to retire from the stress of deadlines and commitments, but another part of me remembers how God is with me, placing my foot upon a rock here, showing me a handhold there, and, oh, the beauty of seeing others find themselves in God. Well, that’s priceless.

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Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
— Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

Fred had some fun putting together this video of our climb. 

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Photos by Fred Hizsa. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Creation, Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

In the Potter’s Hands

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

“NO!!!” I cried, followed by a WTF, and my world coming to an end.

In anyone else’s world, someone had simply made a mistake. No biggie. Easily fixed. But in my world, this was not supposed to happen. Someone (aka Fred) was to blame, and I wanted to blame him.

“Sorry for overreacting,” I said before I felt sorry. It was the right thing to do but something in me still wanted to justify my angry outburst.

A few hours later, I was the one who made a mistake and saw the NO!!! on someone else’s face. “Sorry, I totally forgot,” I said, wanting them to get over it.

That week, the scripture about being shaped in the potter’s hands popped up three times, and three times that same week I overreacted to someone’s innocent mistake. God was shaping me.

But, not with shame. I felt sorry for my intense reaction but not ashamed. Over the years, as you know, God has been schooling me to let go of self-judgment and simply observe what happened and offer myself compassion and curiosity.

We all overreact at times. After we come to our senses, we long to be that saint who can go with the flow. But I don’t think that’s God’s intent.

Maybe, God is shaping us into people who can be kind to ourselves even when we can’t be kind to others.

Often after an incident like this happens, I redouble my efforts to never overreact and blame again. But what if God is inviting me to accept that I will? When I lost it, God didn’t think the world was ending because I had another meltdown. And neither did Fred.

I think God is shaping me into someone who can accept that it takes me a while to get over the shock of things not going as planned. And perhaps, in the process, I will be given a little more grace for others who have meltdowns too.

Just like the clay in the potter’s hand,
so are you in my hand.
—Jeremiah 18.6 (NRSVUE)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

At a potluck barbecue a few years ago, a woman in our contemplative group asked me about SoulStream‘s Living from the Heart. I told her about the structure and content of the course. “But if you want to know what it’s like, you can ask someone who took it,” I said looking at our friend Mei. “It changed my life,” she replied. It changed mine too. A recent participant summed it up this way, “At Living from the Heart, I found a God I could love; as I continued on in the course, I found a God who loved me.” There are still spaces available for the course on Bowen Island (until Sept 12) and online (until Oct 1).

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Tantrum” by amanda tipton. Used with permission.
“In the hands of the potter” by Photos by Clark. Used by permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
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Stay Right Here

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Summer wasn’t finished.
There were more mountains I wanted to climb
when autumn came demanding, list in hand,
reminding me of
all the preparations to be made
deadlines to meet
and commitments to honour.
A rising tide of the urgent
triggered an internal tide of anxiety.

“Breathe,” You said
and drew my attention
to the one thing before me.
We did it
as if it were the only thing
I needed to do.

At the end of the day,
I saw
how much more needed to be done.
You saw
how tired I was.
“Rest,” You said.

In the morning,
I felt the tide again.
and wanted to flee.
“Sit with Me,” I heard. 

When we were done sitting,
we did the one thing that floated toward me,
then another,
and another.

It went on like that for days:
fearing, breathing, resting, sitting, doing,
finding calm and wanting to flee.

“Stay right here,” You’d say,
“Welcome this moment,
find Me with you in it,
and trust Me with the rest.”

That’s all you want me to do
each day.

In returning and rest, you will be saved.
        In quietness and trust, you will find strength.
–Isaiah 30:15 (Voice)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

This week I camped in Sasquatch Provincial Park with Fred and our grandson. In the early morning, while they were still asleep, I was reading The Growing Season, thinking about wine and considering my “somewhereness”–that “place you’re deeply connected to that informs and fuels your sense of personhood.” I was in it.

Nelson Boschman is a pastor, writer, spiritual director, wine enthusiast, husband, father, and a co-facilitator of SoulStream’s Living from the Heart course. “The Growing Season explores the intersection between vineyard, cellar, tasting room, and soul. It’s a closer look at the transformation that occurs from grape to glass, and what that process can teach us about what it means to flourish as human beings.” (Amazon)

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
‘Wet Feet” by stokes rx. Used with permission.
“Seagull” by Charlie Day. Used with permission.
“The Growing Season” book image used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Mindfulness, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Carried

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but, finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”— Luke 5:18-20 (NRSVUE)

Something happened that paralyzed me.
I needed to talk about it.

I shared it with my priest,
my spiritual director,
a counsellor, 
and a friend. 

Each one listened 
to my confusion, pain, and helplessness
with loving compassion.

I needed all four of them to take a corner of my cot
and carry me to Jesus.

Something in me 
feels a bit ashamed 
that I would need four (or more) people
to get me on my feet again.

But that isn’t how Jesus sees it.
He marvels at their faith
and is grateful for my friends

and so am I.

Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.
–Galatians 6:2 (CEB)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

My friend Rod Janz has an amazing podcast series on Hints of Gladness. He is interviewing a number of friends about contemplation. In each episode, there is a guided meditation: Brent Unrau guides us into embodied presence, Deb Steinkamp invites us to meditate on a poem, and Mary Wolfe opens us to paying attention. You can hear their stories in Rod’s interviews with them here. I am proud to know these people and call them my friends too.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Jesus heals the paralytic lowered through the roof. (Stained Glass, St. Colman’s Cathedral in Ireland; Image: Andreas F. Borchert, CC 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Note: The windows of the South Aisle featured in the Banner Image of this post also by Andreas F. Borchert and shared under CC 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
“Friendship” by Felipe Bastos. Used with permission.
Image of Hints of Gladness used with permission.
Posted in compassion, Poetry, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Enjoy This Too

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

Peace followed me home

like a stray pup with soulful eyes

accompanying me everywhere,

barking at strangers,

snapping at flies,

resting her head on my lap

as if she belonged to me.

The little girl in me asks,

“Can we keep her?”


And Peace wags her tail.

Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give you. 
–John 14:27

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

I don’t have a pet but I do have friends who do. This week I would like to honour the love mischief of dogs, cats and other pets. Although they can be challenging at times, these animals give us a felt sense of being loved and invaluable. What a precious gift.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Bow Lake in Banff National Park by Esther Hizsa.
“puppy-111265_1280” by www.localpuppybreeders.com. Used with permission.
“Man’s best friend” by Emwilson_photography. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
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A Beautiful Yes

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

In Celtic spirituality, there is the “Little Book” of scripture and the “Big Book” of creation. Fred and I have been sleeping and waking in the Big Book for twelve wonder-filled days. I am reminded, as I was on the west coast of Vancouver Island this spring, that “In God, we live and move and have our being.” I don’t need to find God; I’m already in God.

Of course, that is true every day everywhere. But here, in the mountains, painted with wildflowers, cascading streams and glacial peaks, God generously displays Her beauty. She asks me only to enjoy Her.

As I wrote that last sentence, I felt a “yes” in my body, the way I do when I’m in a spiritual direction, and I say something aloud that my body resonates with. That warm spacious feeling tells me, “This is something you need to hear.”

I ponder our time in Yoho, Banff and Glacier National Parks and recall what has brought me joy. Top of the list were the vistas from the trails Fred and I hiked, soaking in the Upper Hot Springs and visiting the Whyte Museum, but there were other moments as well. That first cup of coffee when I’m bundled up and can see my breath. Eating the lunch we packed on the Dolomite Ridge above Helen Lake as it snowed. Finding block ice in Nester’s Market and chatting with Sidney from Ontario while she filled our propane tank.

I marvel at the many ways people travel. A fellow from Quebec who sleeps comfortably in his car couldn’t get over the myriad of paintbrush flowers. Two young guys from Israel enjoyed a game of backgammon by their van which had a plumbing pipe on their roof for hot showers. An all-out couple with a tent on the roof of their camper, a shower stall, a canopy over their picnic table, and a truck with their toys camped next to the bike-packers who fit all they needed into a few small water-proof bags. Taking a stroll around our campground at night, we felt like we belonged. Yet, so do all the people in the Hot Springs. The family who spoke German, the woman wearing a hijab, and the young couple planning to cycle the Gran Fondo from Vancouver to Whistler who don’t like camping at all—they are all in the Big Book of God’s wonderful creation.

I loved being outdoors 24/7 but my quiet times in the morning got displaced by the need to get parking at a trailhead or get packed up and on the road. My prayers were distracted thoughts along the trail, and the Little Book was never opened.

I asked God, “What do you want me to hear?”

I heard, “You are allowed to enjoy yourself.”

There, I felt it again–then as I heard those words at the time and now as I write–that beautiful “yes.” from God.

 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities
—God’s eternal power and divine nature—
have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made,
so that people are without excuse.
–Romans 1:20 (NIV)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

I am grateful for the love mischief of Ben and Lisa, park wardens at Illecillewaet campground in Glacier. They went out of their way to find us a campsite after all the sites were snapped up. I heard similar stories from others as well.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Fred at a viewpoint on the way to Paget Lookout in Yoho, National Park.
The stream is on the way to Helen Lake in Banff National Park.
“Site Occupied” was in Loop Brook campground where Ben found us a site until we could get into Illecillewaet campground in Glacier National Park. Photos by Fred and Esther Hizsa. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Creation, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s Endless!

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

It’s endless,” I said to Fred. “Every time I finish cleaning one thing, I see something else that’s dirty.”

I wanted our home to be neat and tidy for our friends who would be staying there for a week while we camp in the Rockies. I know what it’s like to stay in an Airbnb, and our place looked nothing like that. So the cleaning extravaganza began.

We got to work in over 30-degree heat, repositioning the fans as we went. We swept under beds and reorganized overflowing boxes. We wiped down the fridge and stove and cleaned the cupboards inside and out. We replaced threadbare sheets and old washcloths, swept down spider webs, and cleaned windows and mirrors and grimy fingerprints everywhere.

We planned to spend the long weekend with my parents, but they weren’t up to hosting us in the heat. All the campsites were already reserved, so we didn’t leave until Monday. The extra time was just what we needed to do all the spring cleaning that had missed a few springs.

By the time we left, it still wasn’t finished. But it was good enough. Our friends reassured us they were used to the lived-in look. I was glad to receive an email from them the day after they arrived thanking us for our generosity and saying they’d slept well.

I’m writing this post in Yoho National Park while sitting in the car waiting for the rain to stop. I’m not complaining. Yesterday we hiked the Iceline trail with spectacular views of Takakkaw Falls and the Emerald Glacier. I have to say this is way more fun than cleaning.

While we hiked, I thought about that overwhelming feeling I had when the cleaning felt endless and wondered what God was up to. I remembered something someone said recently. She was considering the contemplative value of being present with “what is” and not liking what she saw one little bit. I could relate to that. I liked life better when I didn’t see the dirt and hoped no one else saw it either.

We hadn’t noticed how much dust had collected because our focus was on “more important” things like work, rest, and play. But now I noticed it, and once I noticed it, I also noticed that I enjoy things being clean.

I doubt that cleaning is ever going to be a priority. But it’s a part of the life of an everyday pilgrim.

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
Psalm 84:5 (NIV)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

On Tuesday and Thursday evenings in the summer, semi-retired author Michelle and other historians from the Friends of Yoho lead guided walking tours of Field, BC by donation. The RCMP office, which was decommissioned in the ’90s, is now a guest house. The community hall used to be the Legion. In the ’70s some boisterous dances were held there and two sweet but formidable women in Royal Canadian Legion uniforms were the bouncers. The local coyote often makes an appearance. Michelle carries bear spray because a bear has been known to join the tour.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“A new broom sweeps clean, but the old broom knows the corners” by Kate Ter Haar. Used with permission.
Photo of Fred and Esther on the Red Chairs at Takakkaw Falls Aug 3, 2022, taken by a kind tourist. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Amen,” You Said

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

The good news is that everything is forgiven
—everything.
—Steve Garnaas-Holmes, “Erased”

“Amen,” you said,
and you believed it.
You taught it,
preached it,
and blogged about it.
“I can love myself just the way I am
–warts and all–
because that’s the way God loves me,”
you said,
and you believed it.

You put all your eggs in My basket.

Then life dropped you
into a dark valley.
Sure enough,
I was there as promised.
You found yourself
enfolded in My prodigal embrace.
saved from My judgment

but not from theirs.

I forgave you
before you made the turn
but the forgiveness of others?

That may take a while,
may not come at all
and that’s so damned painful.

I wish I could save you from
the doubts that emerge
the fears that get validated
the pain of rejection

I can’t save you from that
but I can walk with you
through this shadowed valley.
Surely goodness and mercy
won’t be far behind.

Trust me.
You put all your eggs
in the right basket.

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him
and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son,
threw his arms around him and kissed him.
–Luke 15:20 (NIV)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

We don’t walk alone through dark valleys. God comes to us with skin on. This week a friend of mine passed away surrounded by friends and family. They walked with her in that dark valley, listened to her fears, celebrated her life, and sat with her as she found the door to the other side where there is no more pain, no more regrets, no more tears of sadness.

I am grateful for friends who walk with us through our dark valleys of pain, tears and doubt and keep loving us just the way we are.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“The Difficult Path” by Crusty Da Klown. Used with permission.
“The Return of the Prodigal Son by Pompeo Batoni Pompeo Batoni, 1708-1787. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“Friendship” by Rainier Martin Ampongan. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2022.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Poetry, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Love Finds an Opening

Posted on July 22, 2022 by Esther Hizsa

As I continued to keep watch, I noticed a calmness here, a sadness there, delights and disappointments. But nothing wanted to be written about.

I told a friend about my day helping at our church’s thrift shop. “I was standing by a shelf of used books when I noticed a copy of My Grandmother’s Hands–the same book I wrote about on my blog and planned to buy. I was even listening to it on Libby on my way to the church. Incredible, eh?

“I only intended to stay and help out for an hour or two, but it began to rain. So I decided to wait for it to stop before I walked home.

“In the meantime, I had one meaningful conversation after another. Each person opened a door and invited me into their thoughts, feelings and experiences. I felt so privileged.

“Then the rain came down in buckets, and we needed to bring in all the wares that were under the canopies outside. When it was time to close, we began taking down the tents. Rain had collected in pockets of the fabric, so we began tipping the tents to let the water pour off. When we came to the third one–you know where this is going–I missed my cue and got drenched. You should have seen me. I looked like a drowned rat.”

“What a day,” my friend said.

I thought I might write about it, but I didn’t know what that day was saying.

During the week, I watched myself in meetings being present and distracted, hearing others and offering suggestions that moved things forward.

I watched myself write up notes from those meetings while Fred researched air travel requirements and deciphered airline speak. I saw myself sitting near him as he booked my flight to Minneapolis for my niece’s wedding in October. I felt so cared for and thanked him. “I know this kind of thing is stressful for you,” he said.

Still, nothing in my week was becoming a story or poem.

Wednesday morning, two days before I was due to publish a post, I still hadn’t written anything. I sat with Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seeds.

In the quiet, I saw Jesus scattering seeds on the hard path, the rocky soil and in the weeds. Then he found a tiny patch of good soil in me and sowed there. I pictured him pouring more and more goodness into that wee bit of receptive soil.

As I lingered with this image, I began to see that a deep hurt had caused me to protect myself with rocks, weeds and hardness which kept my experiences from taking root. But God found a soft opening and seeded hope, wonder, and stories.

I had thought there was nothing significant enough to write about. But I realize now that I wasn’t able to feel the significance of what was happening.

Love came–through people and circumstances–found an opening and helped me feel and see again.

I watch the rocks and weeds fall away. Birds fly off, looking elsewhere for sustenance. I see big patches of rich, dark soil and stories sprouting everywhere.

Some seed fell on good earth and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
–Matthew 13:8 (MSG)

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

Once a month St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church’s Thrift Shop is open for shoppers to come and find treasures. Volunteers work diligently to receive donations and make them available to our customers. The items are priced affordably with those who are on limited incomes in mind. For over 45  years, the Thrift Shop (newly rebranded as the New to You Market) has been serving the Lougheed Mall area of Burnaby with proceeds going to support, not only church ministries such as our Wednesday Lunch Club (an outreach for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness) but non-profits such as The Burnaby Food Bank, Cameron Elementary School, Doctors Without Borders, Union Gospel Mission, Covenant House, Dixon Transition Society,  Crossroads Hospice Society. If you’re in the area come by and visit!

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Watching” by deckerme. Used with permission.
Untitled photo of sprouting plants by Ryan Dickey. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2022.
The unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-22  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in community, compassion, Homelessness, Reflections, Stories, Wednesday Lunch Club | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments