Anselm KieferThis quote that I found today in my book, "A Year With Thomas Merton", recalls a conversation I had with my son the other night while we were gathered celebrating a family occasion. He was telling me about the activities that his kids are participating in.He has a 7 year old girl and a 5 year old boy and they run, swim, do Scouts; he is happy for them but yearning for a quiet minute. I get it.We had a few laughs about what introverts we and his sister are and that the favorite words of a true introvert are:" the party has been cancelled."
Which brings me to today's Advent theme which is "patience".The root word is "patior" which means to suffer. Ugh. And it relates to waiting for God in seclusion and quiet. It is not about overcoming the annoyance of robo calls. I have found a spot for seclusion in my guest room. It is in a corner by the window with the sun streaming across the pages of my journal. A small cup from Slovakia holds my favorite pens, a rosary is on the back of the old wooden straight back chair. A rooted philodendron is next to the pens. It is there that I learn about love from the scriptures, Merton, St.Therese ,Nouwen and my own journal notes.It is there that I wait on the Lord to answer prayers. Patiently. It is on that chair that I pray for my list of people that grows daily, knowing that I may never see what my prayers do for the suffering. Patience.
As I sit, a female Cardinal appears on the top of the air conditioning unit as if to say that I am not alone in my prayers.Lord, give us patience to see obstacles as doors and hindrances as something that became a way.
The second gift from the Advent Calendar is lip balm.....
windy December
may my lips speak only love
learned in seclusion
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