Dear All of Us,
Hope all goes well
where you are.
Things here in DC
are a bit uncertain, but
one certainty is that it's
Monday Morning Live
time to "Get Go"
with starting to write
this week's blog posting.
To
"Get Go Good"
let's take a cue from Jesus.
He regularly used everyday,
down to earth examples
to show things of high heaven -
the lilies of the field, sheep,
a mustard seed, a lost coin,
yeast, pruning, soil.
Following his lead,
let's check out
the discovery of
John Augustus
Roebling.
What he found,
when applied,
can mean/make
a wonderful difference
in our spiritual lives.
Roebling revolutionized
suspension bridges.
Instead of using thick,
heavy, iron chains
with a limited stretch,
he perfected binding
lots of long, slender
little wires into cables
with vastly greater
strength and stretch.
A LITTLE GOES
A LONG WAY
- even as far as the
one mile span
across San Francisco's
Golden Gate -
For most of us
most of the time,
our spiritual lives are
wraps of many
seemingly simple
little strands of grace
God to us - us to God
Yet they
blend, bundle and bind
into a strong stretch
of soul,
bridging a divine union
A LITTLE GOES
A LONG WAY
- tipping generously,
even extravagantly,
largess like God's
- being absorbed in God's
skyscape at sunset.
- faithfully calling a friend
who never calls us
- taking ten and
soaking in scripture
- thanking the bus driver
- not getting on our high horse
when when we've been
on hold for thirty two minutes,
forty three and a half seconds
- doing our best at work
to suffer a fool as gladly
as we possibly can
- patiently listening as
a lonely senior adult
tells us ten times more
than we want to know
about their career
- drinking a less expensive wine
than our preferred vintage
and putting the difference in
our (grand)child's
529 College Fund
- doing a real buy in with
the members of
our spiritual community -
actual, personal, practical,
immediate and caring
- faithfully giving prime time
and preference to
prayer and reflection
- in our heart of hearts actually
embracing with love and prayer
public figures who score
a minus 10,000 favorability rating
in our personal preference polling
- not fussing if our spouse
wants striped black and yellow
bed sheets with orange pillow cases
( Hey, these are stressful times.
We've got to lighten up all we can!!)
- doing what we can locally for
environmental care and concerns
- suffering slights graciously
- fasting from negative,
derogatory talk
- getting excited
as we watch children at play,
as we read a good novel,
as we enjoy farm fresh
corn on the cob.
All such little strands
and stretches of good
wrap and weave into
a cable of soul connection
with the divine.
little things yes
and
A LITTLE GOES
A LONG WAY.
Thanks for your
good company.
John Frank
******
Whoever, However,
Wherever You Are
WELCOME
to
"frankly speaking
spirituality for the street
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******
FYI
While visiting
Jean and George Wolf at
The Inn of the Spirit
years ago I happened
on the small wire cable
suspension bridge
that Roebling designed
and built back in 1845.
It spans the Delaware River
between Minisink Ford, Pa
and Lackawaxen, NY
It is still in use.
It served as a prototype
for his design of
The Brooklyn Bridge.
One good doesn't stop at one.
Jean and George Wolf
lived Jesus, simply,
practically, quite really.
After years of service
overseas with Catholic Relief,
they brought their family
to remote Yulan, NY
and moved into
an old, rundown inn
in the once popular
Borscht Belt.
They renovated as best
they could and opened
a lay retreat center.
I used to take students there
for weekend retreats.
It was a grace to become
friends with Jean and George.
They are right at the top
of the list of
Convincing Christians
in my life.
And here fifty years later
the example used in this blog
comes because of them
and is going to many
in many places.
One good doesn't stop at one.
Hey, this blog turned out to be
a Double "Hearter"
Speaking of "heart"
from mine to yours
Ollie at three months
Talk about grace!!
******
Here's to living those little
"strands of grace"
They wind/bind well!!
******
We receive.
We give.
