Holy Loafing

Loafing
Raymond Carver

“I looked into the room a moment ago,
and this is what I saw —
my chair in its place by the window,
the book turned facedown on the table.
And on the sill, the cigarette
left burning in its ashtray.
Malingerer! my uncle yelled at me
so long ago. He was right.
I’ve set aside time today,
same as every day,
for doing nothing at all.”

"Loafing" by Raymond Carver from All of Us. © Knopf, 1998.

Holy loafing. What a grand concept. Some may also call it, living in the present, stopping from our agenda to see if God might have another agenda or plan for us today. Children know how to do this well.  One more lesson we can learn from them. My friend, Sharon, gave me a rattle recently. It is called an InnerSpirit Raku Pottery Rattle. Raku is a Japanese method of pottery making traditionally used for making ceremonial tea bowls. The rattle was used by native Americans to bless crops, call for rain. I am now bringing this gift of pottery to my tradition and modifying its use as an instrument to help me stop what I am doing and just be. The rattle sits by my computer and is a reminder to enter another world for a few minutes, to re-center, see if there is something out there greater than what is going on in my narrow, very focused world.  Those concerned about our health also tell us to stop what we are doing intermittently, even every hour, to get up and walk around if we are at a desk, or sit down if we are in a movement activity for just a few seconds. It is like rebooting, refreshing our computers. There are times when things are not going well that we must do even more drastic procedures and completely unplug our internet connection or our computer or copier for a few seconds and then plug them back in. Almost always that solves the problem. This could be a message from our electronic age that our mind, our body, our spirit may also need this simple rebooting, refreshing “cure” as well.

Joanna          joannaseibert.com

Wisdom from Children

Wisdom of Children

“The wolf shall live with the lamb,
   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
   and a little child shall lead them.”  Isaiah 11:6

Hanging out with Zoe

There are so many stories in the Bible about the wisdom and leadership of children and young people.  A young boy leads Saul to Samuel. (1 Samuel 9) Baby Moses’ sister Miriam keeps watch over him until he is found by Pharaoh’s daughter and suggests a “nurse” for him. (Exodus 2:1-10) A captured Israelite young girl tells Naaman’s wife about Elisha who can cure his leprosy. (2 Kings 5) In the gospel of John, Andrew brings a young boy with five barley loaves and two small fish to Jesus to feed 5000 thousand people. (John 6:1-14) I know there are more stories. Help me remember them.

As a physician for children and a grandmother, this has become so evident to me daily. Children teach me about joy. They teach me about awareness. They teach me about living in the moment. Their connection to the sacred seems to be on a shorter string than mine.  As a parent, I was so worried about raising my children “right” that I often missed their wisdom as they were growing up. I do remember one time I listened to my young daughter and stopped my busy work to go outside to see the rainbows in our lawn sprinkler when she came running in to tell me about all the rainbows outside. My grandchildren are growing up too fast. I do not want to miss a second I might have with them. I also loved being a part of the Cathedral School when I was at Trinity Cathedral. I am now assigned as a deacon to St. Mark’s where there is a Day School. I as well love every opportunity to spend time with these preschoolers.  I love the way they fold their tiny hands and kneel to pray in chapel. Sometimes their heads are bowed. Sometimes they look up with wonder about what this new adventure is all about. They teach me more each day about God and God’s love than most of the books on my bookshelf as they share their connection to God.

So, when people come for spiritual direction, I always suggest spending time with children especially one on one to learn more about God’s love.  Barbara Brown Taylor suggests getting down on the floor with them. I can no longer do that, but I can still sit and listen to their stories and share meals with them and throw kisses and give hugs, and watch movies with them, and remind them every time I see them that I love them.

Let me know your experience.

Joanna        joannaseibert.com

Interruptions

Interruptions

“While visiting the University of Notre Dame, I met with an older professor and while we strolled he said with a certain melancholy, ‘you know, my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruption were my work.’” Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out, The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life, p.52.

This has been my experience. I have an agenda, but I am slowly, often painfully learning that God most often meets me in the interruptions in my life that are not on my agenda. There is that call from a friend or family member when I think I am too busy to talk. For me this is a sure sign that I am in trouble, losing priorities of what life is all about if I cannot stop and talk. Interruptions are like a stop or yield sign to go off script, and listen for a grace note. Nouwen calls them opportunities, especially opportunities for hospitality and new experiences. When I come back to a project after an interruption, I usually have fresh ideas, but there is that false idea that keeps ever lurking and speaking in my ear that I will lose my creativity, my train of thought if I stop.

 Interruptions are also a reminder of how powerless we are. If we think we are in charge, the interruptions remind us that this is a myth. On the other hand, when I seal myself off and refuse to response to anything but what is on my agenda, I become exponentially isolated. My world, my God becomes too small. I become the center of the universe and fossilized.  I develop a high hubris titer.

Joanna    joannaseibert.com