CONNECTED IN THE SILENCE

Do the words “a five-day silent retreat” sound like the last thing you want to do? I bet for most people it is. But, personally having experienced two of them, I admit they are my favorite kind of retreat.

The retreat starts with dinner and ends with lunch, where you can converse with people; all other meals are eaten in silence. The only other time you talk is once a day when you meet with your  spiritual  director for an hour, and you can respond as usual at the two services held daily. Continue reading “CONNECTED IN THE SILENCE”

LASTING IMPRESSIONS

I am in awe of seeing how so much of life consists of little connections or details that prove to me the realness of God and the Spirit’s presence. It brings me joy to see and share these things with others. We never truly know the impact of our lives on other people or how simple things can mean so much. What a mighty God we serve!

A few weeks ago, it was an unexpected blessing to get to work and see a card and present on my desk from a coworker who was retiring. It was a God moment that we connected at work three months earlier. I had known of her and found the few times we interacted through the years that she was very kind, friendly, and helpful. In February, she sent a work email to a group of people, including me. A day or so later, we passed each other in the hall, and I had that inkling to see if she would be interested in one of my books. I opted to email her in case she was not interested. Much to my surprise, she said she would like to see one. So off I went to her desk. We had a lovely conversation about faith and family that lasted probably a good 20 minutes or more. She bought two different books that day. About a month later, she bought the remaining book because she was enjoying them. That day was a blessing as we shared more stories about our lives where we could relate to similar situations. What a blessing to be able to encourage each other with understanding and empathy. Continue reading “LASTING IMPRESSIONS”