Ah, hot coffee and blogging early in the morning. It is a little oasis in the busy day that I have been about to carve out for myself. And we get to be together to “walk” and share important matters.
I can’t seem to put yesterday’s thoughts on the shelf and move on. That story about the Choctaw mother and her garden and God was just downright profound. And it was so enhanced by its total downright funkiness. It has captivated me, the story and the clarity of its vision.
If we look at the bare bones story (sorry) what do we see? She gathered up the utter refuse of the high rent world around her and offered it up. It was all castoff, death without proper burial it was. She literally gathered death in, offered it up and it was transformed into life by God in her garden.
Hope you don’t mind me sorting though the severed chicken heads and the dead dogs of it again but there is something very important going on here. I know yesterday I said something like this: that it was a simple woman that opened the universe for herself. And my thinking goes that she did in fact do that, not that she opened the whole universe but she made that first move on it. And this is the critical juncture, that she accomplished it once and saw a facet for herself. And that facet sustained her and her family.
My thinking goes that once a person is in that door, in that space, it is all up for grabs. But maybe one facet is all one needs really, yes? As you can tell I just think it is a beautiful nourishing story. I am literally nourished by this story, these few words.
It is so much akin to the story about the librarian from the ancient city of Alexandria who calculated the diameter of the earth “in his backyard”. We were hot on this story a few months back and explored it thoroughly. Cris was with us then so it must be in the last year. There I found it, August 27th, 2017 in the archives, the whole story is there for you.
Can we achieve feats like this? Yes, definitely, it is possible. Nimble creativity is a powerful tool. Love you’ll, Felipe.
Phil, Your posts are so profound and yet so simple & refreshing. I’ve shared your blog with many others. Have you thought about putting together a book with your postings? You could sort them by themes! Of course, maybe there is only one theme, God. BTW, I remember your August 2017 post very well and bought the book, Mapping. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and brightening our days and enlarging our vision of this beautiful world.
Jean ~ thanks for your kind words. Actually there is a book underway and I can probably tell you about it a little further down the road when it gets more organized. The blog started a few months before I walked the Camino in 2014. It started off so innocently and was just supposed to be a way of letting friends know how I was doing but since then it has grown and grown. And I have benefited from the doing of it. It’s all a big win – win.
And you ran out and bought a copy of Mapping. I really enjoyed that book. And I still do because every so often I will pick it up and read a few pages just for fun.
Keep in touch, Felipe.x
Love the picture. So from a few miles south of where Washington did actually cross that Delaware…Buen Camino!
Karin ~ thanks for the update. Always great to get the historical perspective on our goofing around. What town are you in? I am a little shaky on my geography but as a kid we used to fish parts of the Delaware. Most of all I remember the black flies. Keep in touch, Felipe.x
“Nimble creativity is a powerful tool”. Taking not of that idea. You’re the best, Felipe. Keep walking. Rain or shine. xoo dana
Dana ~ thanks for your friendship. We are doing great. And didn’t get to awful wet today. Felipe.x
Love this, Felipe. Love you, too, (of course!) and love ‘walking’ with you. I’m glad you seen another day on this, and shared how you are struck by it. Because I was struck by how that Choctaw woman was you. Yup. Like her, you have taken some of the most awful stuff, in your case you diagnosis, and turned it into nourishment. For yourself, for others, for me. Thank you. And like her, you offer it all up to God. From God, to God. Thank you. Much love to you this quiet, dark morning. Love you so.
Annie ~ I’ve been thinking lately about asking for a raise, now I have the argument. Hehe. Well, maybe you have got something there my dear. Maybe that is why I am so moved by her story. Thank you for this jolt of clarity. That guy walking in the mud, Felipe.x