So I tried this greeting at breakfast today with kind reactions. I did not have the correct pronunciation but it means, “Nice to see you again”. I noticed again what I noticed at yesterdays worship time (singing), that the German-speaking members come alive when a song is in their native tongue. Familiarity connects us to our feelings better than a foreign tongue. We have mainly German and English but other languages as well at Wiler. Busy morning of learning, had a second slice of apple strudel (one of my favorites), so needed a walk. During the first .85 miles I dodged two tractors. How you do that is get out of the way because there is no space for pedestrians. I landed at a garden/coffee/farm I have passed many times this first month abroad but had never visited. I stopped after having stopped several times to shout at the sky. My reason is we are unfit for service to God if there is too much blockage. I had another reminder that I have forgiven some past harm but still feel some hurt. Forgiveness is not the challenge but I need to be ready. So I am the only person in the garden sipping coffee – two shortbreads dipped in chocolate, charming blue shutters, pumpkins, perfect sky, and time to pray. The hard part for me was sitting still. It reminds me of Friday’s a year ago. My emails stopped arriving by noon so I could wind down. Instead, here, tractors are going full speed and my mind is racing.
I know I am a soft person so I tend to wind up slowly and wind down slowly. I hang onto facts/offenses like an accountant. That is not useful. That part of my personality could be more useful if I could learn to hang onto peace and joy for a very long time. This is not a Christmas card, although, as in the U.S., I saw Christmas gifts and decor in the market this week. I smiled. We are the same and so are businesses. It is good to be you and it is good for me to be me but I ought to make more space for filling-up in order to pour out. The answer came easily. Stop thinking about me. Could it be any simpler? We need to see other people. An exercise in contrast was two side-by-side postings on Facebook yesterday. One was a photo of a young boy who’s family is trapped in slavery in another part of the world. No hope. Below it were two cute kids in the U.S. trying out their halloween costumes so they can be spoiled with candy. Nothing wrong with that – remember I had two apple strudels and two shortbreads today. I am so spoiled that God wants me to stop thinking about me. Stoppen.
