A Ten minute retreat

Today I got some good old-fashioned junk mail. You know, the unsolicited tangible pieces of paper that some company actually pays to send you. Most of the time, this junk mail goes straight to the recycle bin...but...this one had a phrase that spoke to my soul "Go on a retreat for 10 minutes." The line that followed said, "Escape to a spiritual retreat for just a moment each day." There is a picture of an empty adirondack chair waiting for me in a vast, lush, green meadow.

Is God waiting for me in that meadow? This junk mail caused me to dust off my devotional and my journal and give ten uninterrupted minutes to God. I did feel my soul sigh, my spirit renew, and just a moment of rejuvenation. I heard from God, thank you for keeping this appointment, please feel free to make another one. So, maybe this wasn't junk mail this time, maybe it was an appointment reminder card, you know like the one the dentist sends you. A card to remind me that I have missed too many appointments with God. A card to remind me that my chair in the meadow has been empty and I have been missed.

God is waiting for me in the meadow? in my living room? in my office? Ten minutes may not seem like a lot, but it is a gift to have, a gift to receive, and a gift I can give my Creator.

Soul Sister

God has been growing my heart by changing my definitions. Recently, I realized I found myself mentioning my best friend, frequently in conversation. We will call her Ariel. Whenever I mentioned Ariel, or share some of the wisdom or insight she had shared with me, I felt a warm spot on my heart. I realized more and more how much I trust this woman, how much I value her in my life, and how she is the best friend for which I have praying for many years. I still had not allowed my whole heart to be connected to hers because I am afraid of rejection, disappointment, and embarrassment, all emotions I have suffered through broken relationships. Whenever I found myself mentioning Ariel in a conversation, I added and explanation as to how she was connected to me. You know, like, "she is a friend of mine who I met here when we did this" etc. It was like I had to have a logical, explainable reason for her being in my life, that way if she left my life for any reason, I could have an explanation for her departure as well. A clean and simple relationship.

God has been opening my heart, helping me to be secure in who I am. I am a good friend, I am worthy of having good friends. This friend, whom I love like a sister, is a gift from God. She is not some casual acquaintance I happened to meet. She and I were brought by an all powerful being who knows our needs, and knows we need each other. So Ariel and I have connected on a deeper level, I have shared more with her than with any other and she understand me. She is a safe place to fall. This is the philia love, the brotherly (or in this case sisterly) love that has been missing from my life. I love my husband and he fulfills many of my needs, but not all. Sometimes you just need girl time! So, as I was praying for Ariel this week, God gave me a new word to describe our relationship...sister. She is my sister, not by blood, but in every other sense of the word. I no longer need to describe or explain our relationship to others. God has helped my heart heal and grow so that I have room for my new sister.