It’s true,
I really am a sucker for shiny.
The projected kind, that is.
Those little humans, the ones over there,
thoughtlessly shooting out
the sparkly ties that find.
The contagious giddy in the fleeting standstill.
Completely undone
in the collective, unspoken cradling
of the fragile glass of now.
Originally posted 26th Dec, 2016. I can’t believe it’s been a year…
on her owl backpack,
“Doctor Vanessa,
she does have blood in her wing
so she’ll be fine.
But there’s no milk
or strawberries
or blue berries.
Or furpleberries…”
“But she’s allergic to furpleberries” I remind her.
“Oh yeah, don’t give her furpleberries”.
Serious silence sinews our thoughts together.
“Dr Vanessa,
I took off her heart
so she won’t be sick anymore.”
“Why, Dr Bailee,
you’re a genius…”
After contemplating the important work we’ve accomplished,
eight year old niece decides we need a song. Her currently favourite song.
(If you are so inclined, please sing and dance with us):
(featured image artwork by Dr Bailee)
quietly
the ground
roller-coasted beneath
shyly
the sound
tried to leave its bequeath
in the hope
it would heal
in the last
So for those of you who don’t know, I am married to a Lutheran pastor.
I could seriously write a book about what life has been like in the last 20+ years living this reality. The thing is, if I did, I would have to kill everyone first. Because changing names wouldn’t be enough.
I jest, of course!
But, these people are dear to my heart. My husband is the pastor of five churches and our churches are small. And of course, microcosms of greater realities. There are times I have enjoyed worshipping with big congregations. The fellowship can be incredible. However, for people with anxiety issues, being welcomed into a smaller community has been an extremely healing thing for them, and we have witnessed beautiful things that literally brings tears to my eyes.
One of the highlights for me was when a very reclusive gentleman, who has some serious anxiety issues for a number of reasons, finally joined our smallest congregation. To say that it terrifies him to join a large group of people, would be a grave understatement. So to see his ongoing healing from the love in that community, has been nothing short of amazing. Last year, he called our house to wish me a happy birthday on behalf of their little church. It is hard for me to put into words what that meant to me, because I know the agony he would have gone through before he made that call. (Please don’t tell him I wrote about him, he would die! 🙂 )
I truly feel blessed I am a part of all of this. And I will always be proud to be a part of these families. Warts and all.
(And thank you WordPress, for being another “family” I have come to love.)
so, is it my mouth
or my soul
shaped this way?
or is mind
in sibling rivalry
with heart?
vying for the approval
of discordant voices,
the lens of reality between –
cracked,
distorting blood.
I look at the music
pooling at my feet-
the beauty of its reflection
tearing my comprehension,
sweetly serenading me
from the red of the truth.
