Koinonia. The Greek word for community. Also, the name for a world-wide weekend retreat for adults. An annual event at my church, Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Bowling Green, KY.
This weekend was the 7th Koinonia retreat I’ve participated in since the first was held in 1998 (or was it ’99?). The first time as a participant, and the six times since then in some role of service. But, this time was different….
Yes, at each Koinonia retreat there are those who serve in the retreat room itself – the musicians, the table leaders, spiritual leaders, directors, sacristans, and more. And each weekend there are those who serve in the kitchen – tirelessly cooking and feeding the crowd. Spiritual growth is hungry work, after all.
And then…there are the...well, to protect the innocent, we'll just call them the "Flakes". Those who serve “behind the scenes”. In the world of entomology, the “Flakes” would be the worker ants. Hustling, toiling, setting up, taking down, clearing out, cleaning up, licking envelopes, lighting candles, setting up chairs, taking down chairs, waitressing/waitering (is that a word?) and generally being useful doing all the sideline action that makes a weekend go. Out of the limelight… In silence.
Yes, you heard me right. In silence.
I took a 24-hour vow of silence from Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. Now, those who know me well know that I can readily spend an entire afternoon without saying a word. This usually involves a good book, a comfy chair, and a cup of hot tea. “So,” I thought to myself, “what can be so hard about silence for 24 hours? It will be easy – and I’ll have an excuse NOT to talk. Oh happy day!”
Yeah right.
First there was the lovely woman who showed up at the church hall (I think to attend an AA meeting). She wandered into the room where I was working, looking for the restroom. I gestured, nodded, hopped up from my seat, and led her to the ladies room – without saying a word. She must have felt as though she had a close encounter with Harpo Marx. After that performance, if she stayed for the AA meeting rather than “peeling rubber” out of the parking lot, I admire her tenacity at recovery.
Then there was my handsome husband, who wondered why I didn’t go through the drive-thru and bring a snack home that night. How, specifically, does a mute woman order at the drive-thru I ask you?
I’ve learned that I stink at charades…I was trying to illustrate the word “fire” (as in “do we need to put out the fire?”) and the person attempting to interpret my message guessed that the word was “Viagra” – HUH?
That being said, the view from my seat as “Flake” was very good. Do you know that if you are quiet you can listen? Sad, but true, it was news to me…
I think I listen well. In fact, I usually think that is one of my good qualities: that I am a “good” listener. I pay attention, I remember details.
But, this weekend, I learned that when one gives up the power of speech, one also silences the internal noise. The chatter of “what do I need to do next”, “what was that?”, “what am I forgetting?”, “what is the next deadline?” and the train of other endless thoughts that pass through our minds. When the voice is silent, the mind calms. Over my 24-hours of silence, I found that there are still clocks that tick and that the soft breathing of the person working next to you is a beautiful sound. I learned that the eyes really are the window to the soul, as I looked into humble eyes, nervous eyes, loving eyes, dancing eyes, and eyes full of pain.
I learned that God really does talk in the silence. And that it takes more than the 30-second breath between sentences to count as listening for the voice of God. The view from my seat of self-inflicted silence was the best seat in the house. I saw, and heard, miracles.
“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.” – Mother Teresa
Amen.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Time DOES fly!
It's hard for me to believe that it has been more than 2 months since I've shared the view from my seat. Where does the time go? (boringly rhetorical question...)
In my case, it has literally flown. You see, my seat has been an airplane seat. I've been twice to the beautiful and addictive country of Belize since Jan 1, 2008. My seat has been on the kind of little airplanes where the staff doesn't say "Welcome Aboard" instead they say "Good Luck!". And my seat has been on a lovely jet playing a movie (sadly, without popcorn). My seat has been kicked non-stop from Houston to Nashville by a restless 3 year-old. I've also had a seat on a Belizean taxi whose passenger door opened via the grip of a Craftsman tool, a bumper-less seven-passenger van, a school bus, and a variety of tour busses, large and small.
Along the way I have met the most fascinating group of people imagineable...Christina, who serves the MOST delicious rice and beans with stewed chicken that have ever graced a table. The fact that the table sits in a cozy thatched home in a remote Mayan village, with a random chicken or puppy wandering through the house only adds to the ambience. My mouth is watering thinking of those meals - complete with hot off the griddle fresh tortillas.
Phil, our genial driver. With his sweet jokes and funny sayings. I learned about "sleeping policemen" (aka speed bumps) and Belize in his monologue. I will never hear (or see) the phrase "You gotta Belieze-it" without thinking of Phil - driver and guide. He worked very hard to get 13 talkative medical and dental personnel from place to place on time. He must of felt, at times, as though he was herding cats. Patience, thy name is Phil.
Jill and Emmeth....oh my! Drummer extraordinaire, oral historian, and showman. Artist, humorist, and kind-hearted woman. Life is richer if you ever meet Jill and Emmeth. Somewhere there is photographic evidence as I left my fireside seat and "jumped" the Sambai (danced). I am praying that it only is available for viewing at my funeral (at some distant date). After all laughter at my funeral is one of my deepest wishes.
Sweet Nurse Johnson. Whatever the tropical equivalent is of a Steel Magnolia, that is Nurse Johnson. Beautiful foliage concealing a strong core. Wise and caring - oh, the perfect combination for a nurse. Can it be bottled?
The list is so long...Nancy of Manatee Lodge, Mr. August - polished transportation coordiantor, Dana - politician and cave guide, Mrs. Samuels, Bro. Sho and Bro. Tush - men of strength and talent, Candy who runs the Cardies Hotel and makes it look easy. The children - oh! the children. Gap toothed, curious, playful, bright, generous, and welcoming. Innocent (insert a quick prayer here for their protection). Babies carried from their mothers head in hammock totes.
The view from my seat is one of gratitude. For:
- my health and opportunity to serve.
- students who came, saw, embraced, and worked like professionals.
- Sharkey Farmer, the best dentist in the whole wide world. Lard conisseur and master of the infamous Sharkey-Jack.
- "Nancy" our water-toting environmentalist and all around air-traffic controller
- "Citronella" my roommate who graciously absorbed all the bug bites that we were both entitled to.
- Dr. Sherry who demonstrates what medicine is at its best. A healing art of person-to-person caring.
- Dr. Sherry who proves that it is entirely possible to be a genius and still lose anything not tethered to an actual part of one's anatomy.
- Dr. Ryan, fourth cousin to himself, who worked double duty, even with "Belize Belly" Player of a mean "Amazing Grace" on a Recorder.
- Edna, the reincarnation of Florence Nightengale and Clara Barton all wrapped up in one fun package. I pray she never learns the words "Not my job."
- laughter, everyday.
- sweat. Honest sweat of hard work.
- Pepto-Bismol, a traveller's best friend.
- Hammocks and cool evening breezes.
- Mayan ruins - to remind me that the present is fleeting. AND that there have been folks in the past that thought they were "all it" and look where they are now.
- Time to reflect, enjoy, and commit to incorporating at least one best practice of these beautiful Belizeans into my life.
- Mimi who reminded me of the value of pure, unadulterated mother-love.
- Jane Fonda look-alike, (you-know-who-you-are), bright, funny and inspiring. Like a duck - paddling furiously under the surface, calm and serene to all appearances (I think!)
And so, I close, while waiting for a brief bit of warm weather so that I can again view the world from the peculiar perspective of my bicycle, with this thought to my winter time friends - new and old:
No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth. ~Robert Southey
And from my favorite philosopher...
Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos. ~Charles M. Schulz
In my case, it has literally flown. You see, my seat has been an airplane seat. I've been twice to the beautiful and addictive country of Belize since Jan 1, 2008. My seat has been on the kind of little airplanes where the staff doesn't say "Welcome Aboard" instead they say "Good Luck!". And my seat has been on a lovely jet playing a movie (sadly, without popcorn). My seat has been kicked non-stop from Houston to Nashville by a restless 3 year-old. I've also had a seat on a Belizean taxi whose passenger door opened via the grip of a Craftsman tool, a bumper-less seven-passenger van, a school bus, and a variety of tour busses, large and small.
Along the way I have met the most fascinating group of people imagineable...Christina, who serves the MOST delicious rice and beans with stewed chicken that have ever graced a table. The fact that the table sits in a cozy thatched home in a remote Mayan village, with a random chicken or puppy wandering through the house only adds to the ambience. My mouth is watering thinking of those meals - complete with hot off the griddle fresh tortillas.
Phil, our genial driver. With his sweet jokes and funny sayings. I learned about "sleeping policemen" (aka speed bumps) and Belize in his monologue. I will never hear (or see) the phrase "You gotta Belieze-it" without thinking of Phil - driver and guide. He worked very hard to get 13 talkative medical and dental personnel from place to place on time. He must of felt, at times, as though he was herding cats. Patience, thy name is Phil.
Jill and Emmeth....oh my! Drummer extraordinaire, oral historian, and showman. Artist, humorist, and kind-hearted woman. Life is richer if you ever meet Jill and Emmeth. Somewhere there is photographic evidence as I left my fireside seat and "jumped" the Sambai (danced). I am praying that it only is available for viewing at my funeral (at some distant date). After all laughter at my funeral is one of my deepest wishes.
Sweet Nurse Johnson. Whatever the tropical equivalent is of a Steel Magnolia, that is Nurse Johnson. Beautiful foliage concealing a strong core. Wise and caring - oh, the perfect combination for a nurse. Can it be bottled?
The list is so long...Nancy of Manatee Lodge, Mr. August - polished transportation coordiantor, Dana - politician and cave guide, Mrs. Samuels, Bro. Sho and Bro. Tush - men of strength and talent, Candy who runs the Cardies Hotel and makes it look easy. The children - oh! the children. Gap toothed, curious, playful, bright, generous, and welcoming. Innocent (insert a quick prayer here for their protection). Babies carried from their mothers head in hammock totes.
The view from my seat is one of gratitude. For:
- my health and opportunity to serve.
- students who came, saw, embraced, and worked like professionals.
- Sharkey Farmer, the best dentist in the whole wide world. Lard conisseur and master of the infamous Sharkey-Jack.
- "Nancy" our water-toting environmentalist and all around air-traffic controller
- "Citronella" my roommate who graciously absorbed all the bug bites that we were both entitled to.
- Dr. Sherry who demonstrates what medicine is at its best. A healing art of person-to-person caring.
- Dr. Sherry who proves that it is entirely possible to be a genius and still lose anything not tethered to an actual part of one's anatomy.
- Dr. Ryan, fourth cousin to himself, who worked double duty, even with "Belize Belly" Player of a mean "Amazing Grace" on a Recorder.
- Edna, the reincarnation of Florence Nightengale and Clara Barton all wrapped up in one fun package. I pray she never learns the words "Not my job."
- laughter, everyday.
- sweat. Honest sweat of hard work.
- Pepto-Bismol, a traveller's best friend.
- Hammocks and cool evening breezes.
- Mayan ruins - to remind me that the present is fleeting. AND that there have been folks in the past that thought they were "all it" and look where they are now.
- Time to reflect, enjoy, and commit to incorporating at least one best practice of these beautiful Belizeans into my life.
- Mimi who reminded me of the value of pure, unadulterated mother-love.
- Jane Fonda look-alike, (you-know-who-you-are), bright, funny and inspiring. Like a duck - paddling furiously under the surface, calm and serene to all appearances (I think!)
And so, I close, while waiting for a brief bit of warm weather so that I can again view the world from the peculiar perspective of my bicycle, with this thought to my winter time friends - new and old:
No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth. ~Robert Southey
And from my favorite philosopher...
Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos. ~Charles M. Schulz
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