Happy Birthday Canada! From the Comfort of Home

Here I sit on Canada's 150th Birthday in my red T-shirt, watching the sun try desperately to peek through the clouds which have held us hostage for several days now, other than the few times the sun has been successful in its quest to show its reflection.  It's interesting how all the hype has been enjoyable to watch yet not created the need to join in the festivities.  I'm very proud to be Canadian, and very proud to see us, as a country, raise the flag to all that we've become and all that we represent to the world.  I'm grateful for the blessing of being able to sit quietly in the comfort of my own home and simply watch the world go by.

The 'relief exhaustion' which came on mid June continues to settle itself in ways I hadn't contemplated.  I feel fatigued and even sometimes light headed yet a new level of clarity is making its way into my mind.  I surprised myself by tackling the pile of paper and files allowed to grow like an out of control weed.  It didn't take long to recycle, declutter and prioritize projects and break them down into small, achievable tasks.  Wow, how is this possible in a constant state of tiredness?  Maybe it's because being tired now is in a relaxed, purely physical dimension rather than mental fatigue resulting from darting in many directions at the same time without being able to focus on any one thing.

I'm fascinated to watch the days unfold with much less planning at the outset, yet ending in a much greater sense of accomplishment.  It must go back to the concept of making our plans while letting God direct our steps.  Yesterday is a good example where I had made plans to go to the pool for noon, oh, and on the way stop at the liquor store to make a return, then on the way to the pool pick up clothing needed alteration, then coming home to write my blog (ya right, it didn't even happen until today).  It all changed by Mike walking in the door a good 3-4 hours earlier than I'd expected.  Almost immediately I was able to let the plans float up into a cloud of uncertainty knowing what I wanted to get done in a conceptual way but not trying to exert control over every step of the way.  A little give here, a little shuffle there, left the day surprisingly fun and stress free.  And to top it off I got to play with Ella in the pool at the Y for over an hour.

As I practice slowing down, each day includes planned activities with a new sense of awareness of subtle hints and nudges to guide me along the greater plan.  It's my way of allowing Holy Spirit into daily life and work His magic in ways I'd never be consciously aware of.  Of late, my intuition is becoming sharper as I anticipate what surprises will come allowing me to do good works for the benefit of others.  I've mentioned before how I am a connector; an instrument of God to bring people and opportunities together for the greater good.  It became so glaringly apparent this week, I get lightheaded even thinking about it.  In order to respect privacy, I will change the story while trying to share the impact.

It goes back to a courtesy phone call to an acquaintance to say hello and see if they'd had the opportunity to attend a function in Kingston.  They had, and much later in the conversation asked if I had any connection to a local organization.  Needless to say I was able to say yes and offered to poke around to get a little bit of information.  Did I need to do this? No, of course not.  It would be much easier for me to simply suggest they make direct contact.  But that's not how I operate.  A couple of weeks later I was able to offer some insights, inviting them to breakfast to celebrate their birthday (which I just happened to know was around the same time).  Breakfast led to further inquiry and investigation resulting in an introduction to a couple of people.  This introduction was two pronged and what we thought was the priority inquiry quickly became secondary to a much larger story telling opportunity.

Here is an excerpt of my summary to those in attendance:

'The higher outcome is to have made the connection to the right ‘farmer’ to sow the seeds (from Gerry's (not his real name) story) to the greatest number (of students heading into the future) for how things can be done and what’s possible with vision, foresight, determination, tenacity and mostly, creativity.  We had the privilege of being part of that divine connection.  During our ‘after meeting conversation’, Gerry told me how he’s noticed a decline in his mental sharpness over the past year and a half.  The potential project of getting his story told which obviously includes many others who shared his vision, will bring a whole new purpose to his life.  You have a ‘divine assignment’  and you are the right person to carry it out.  I can even envision him giving a short lecture to students for them to put a face to who has contributed to the evolution of this profession and how it was done.
This whole idea and concept, overall, almost makes me light headed to even think about.


I walked away from that gathering overwhelmed at the assignment we had the privilege of carrying out.  Much of the planning included us remaining confident of our own abilities and keeping things simple which can be hard for me at the best of times.  I'm only touching on the surface of the experience we shared and will cherish the nuances by having the eyes to see and the ears to hear the hints sent divinely our way.  I believe it's possible for anyone to share in similar experiences only available by detaching from the minor details of everyday life that can often drive us crazy.  It's like stepping into a new realm of existence somewhat like becoming the instrument rather than the orchestra leader.  Just play my part while allowing the true Director of the Universe to set the tone and lead us through our paces.

This post has deviated from the norm of giving an update on the medical front.  I guess it's because I haven't had any appointments or updates.  I did receive a call booking an appointment for a cat scan on July 12th at 10:30 a.m.  It's been difficult to remain objective about my health with new twinges, aches and pains sending me into medical mind overdrive.  During a recent meeting with myself a suggestion was made to approach whatever comes of the scan as an adventure.  Believe it or not, so far it has worked to reframe my outlook.   I'd like nothing more than to take whatever comes in stride.  Each day will start with a prayer of thanksgiving for being able to get up and function without assistance.  From there read my three chapters of the Bible, two from the Old Testament and one from the New followed by some quiet reflection.  I write these posts to capture some of my learnings along the paths of these Adventures in Prayer and Medicine and if anyone gains one tiny aha, it's all been worthwhile.  With that, I say good night and God Bless,

Until next time,
Hugs
Liz

dobbsjones@gmail.com
'Prayers wrapped in faith and sent with love are the greatest gifts we can receive.'