Good morning…
I copied the wisdom of Kate Bowler into my current journal. “Blessed are we, the ones whose emotions show up like uninvited houseguests and refuse to leave,” says Kate. “May we learn to offer them a cup of tea, sit with them awkwardly, and realize they’re not as scary as we thought. Most of the time. Onward together, Kate Bowler.”
I copied these words then took a photo and sent it to Jennifer DeShetler, who was entertaining a whole houseful of emotions, tons of uninvited guests. Scans show Audrey is at the end of the road with her cancer treatment. Audrey really wanted to get back to Notre Dame to be with her college friends. They had to cancel their scheduled flight back to Indiana, because doctors needed another x-ray before allowing Audrey to go back to school. But, due to the two day shut-down in Atlanta for winter weather, the hospitals were closed. No way to get the needed x-ray that stood between Audrey and her deep desire to go back to college.
I sent this photo of Kate Bowler’s wisdom to Jennifer and our Fab Five friends, with these words of encouragement, “With God, there is always a path forward. When the sidewalk ends, our toes find the grass. Onward together, my friends.”
Just before 9:00 pm that night, we got a return text from Jennifer. “I literally kicked my way into the radiology department and got Audrey an x-ray. We are now in Kentucky on our way back to Notre Dame.” With Audrey and her tenacious family, when the sidewalk ends, their toes always find a way into green growing grass.
So, Jennifer, Audrey and her brother Scott drove to Indiana, arriving on Thursday afternoon around 4:00 pm. “We were all feeling anxious,” Jennifer texted. “We dropped Audrey off at her dorm. She had so many people waiting for her at the door!”
“We took her to dinner tonight,” Jennifer wrote later. “She knows it was hard getting to ND, but she said she literally can feel her body feeling better. When she was in her dorm, her texts were non stop. So many people want to come see her.”
Then the next morning Jennifer wrote. “Audrey said she had a great night of sleep and has been in the library since 9:00 am.”
When the sidewalk ends in front of our frail feet, getting back to our beloved “normal” and being surrounded by the healing power of true friends, what more could any one of us ask for?
Help me hear joy and happiness as my accompaniment, so my bones… will dance in delight instead (Psalm 51:8, VOICE).
…Sue…
P.S. We began today’s post with Kate Bowler wisdom. We will end it with a text from my friend Robin, who is reaching out for me since I am co-leading a women’s retreat with Dr. Cathy Snapp and Kitty Crenshaw at Epworth-by-the-Sea in St. Simon’s, Georgia.
