It’s hard to describe a stirring deep within you, when the stirring isn’t happening in a formed fashion. The stirring within me since Summer of 7 began is more like a spinning that a tornado creates as it whips through a city. Debris flies. People scatter. Possessions are lost. Nothing looks the same.
Yep, that’s a good way to describe Summer of 7. Nothing. Looks. the. Same.
While I want to tell you of all these profound discoveries and truths, my words swirl and whip through my soul. There’s no formation.
Instead, I write light-hearted posts like the one yesterday (I know – useless!) because these spinning thoughts are too much to process. Plus, the vortex of images circling in my soul seem too private to broadcast for all. Maybe they are only meant for me. Could God really want me to share them?
And so I realize I’m even good at hoarding my thoughts. Didn’t I just write and respond how incredible it was when one of us was brave enough to share, it opened a door for us all to share. Did I say that? If so, what was I thinking because today I’d rather sit silently with my own thoughts. Somebody else can share. Who wants to go first? Sign up here________________________________.
And so I’ll begin to explain my brain. Don’t laugh!
What Summer of 7 is teaching me so far on Day 5:
1. If hungry enough, I will steal. Attending a wedding reception where I was famished, I sat down to a round table set for 8. My family showed up leaving 4 extra chairs. The table was beautiful with individually set salads. I eyed the salad. Hmmmmm – to stay on 7 I can consume the lettuce and cherry tomatoes. I devoured mine. I tried to eat slowly as I’ve heard that helps fill you up faster. After everyone was sitting at the reception, I realized we had 4 empty places at the table. I kindly had my family members pick the cherry tomatoes out of each salad and pass them to me. I surely didn’t want those to go to waste! Enter four new people, “Can we sit here?” Hmmmmm – sure! My family and I look at each other hoping no one notices that there is a thief at the table when one of the guests says, “It sure looks like someone took all the cherry tomatoes off these salads!” OH MY GOSH – I had been had and I didn’t even fess up. MY BAD!!
2. Eating spinach makes you feel like Popeye. After church on Sunday I had made arrangements to deliver some furniture to a friend who just got off the streets and moved in to an apartment. I was going to deliver the dresser by myself, but it was huge and wouldn’t fit in my car. I had a kind friend help me. This is where it gets too comical for words! My friend shows up in an old El Camino that her husband is fixing up. It is loud! It had a bench seat! It needs lots of work, but it was so fun to cruise in. Great memories those El Camino’s! I direct her to the apartment complex where we are to drop off the furniture. She exclaims, “Alene, this is the ghetto. You wouldn’t survived here by yourself.” Sure enough I stuck out like a sore thumb, but furniture got delivered to a girl who was excited to move off the streets.
3. I’m drawn from less to lesser. Everywhere I turn, look, listen, and read there is something or someone talking about the homeless. I’ve journaled about this. I’ve asked God questions about this. I’ve written out pages and pages of nudges, prompts, and questions. I’ve written these swirling thoughts down in SECRET. Yet to open my messages and find answers. And here I sit idle. Idle with the thoughts of what to do because I’m afraid. Maybe eating only 7 foods for a week makes you weak? Maybe my choice of 7 foods are a combination to make you afraid, scared, and fearful? Bad combination.
4. My heart is found on street corners. To tune-out my thoughts I want to escape. I drive through town, sun-roof open, music blasting – ah yes! God please quiet my thoughts or make some kind of sense out of them! I find my self asking ever so patiently. That’s when I realize, I long for the street corners. Will there be somebody there? Will they need help? A smile? A wave of acknowledgement? I pull up to a corner and immediately I notice a man. He has his back turned, but I’m thinking “get a gift card. where are those gift cards?” I pull one out, roll down my window and the sweetest old man was right there to greet me. “Ma’am, could you spare some money for food?” I said, “I have better than that. How about a gift card to Whataburger?” With such joy I thought he was going to reach through the window to hug me he says “that’s my favorite place, that’s my favorite place!” He had been twiddling some palm branches together. “Thank you ma’am. This rose is for you!” Yep, part of my heart stayed right there on that street corner.
I will persevere through Summer of 7. I will get brave. I will share more of the plan soon.
Sorry, I had to giggle at the tomatoes. I would so do that.
Love that story with the homeless man. He got his favorite and that is just the best!!
Yes, that man was precious! Totally made my day and I’m still thinking about his big toothless grin today. PRICELESS!
Yesterday’s post was not useless! I don’t know that anything you have ever written has been useless. So, there.
lol Seriously, it made me think about accountability and integrity. My partners don’t need to show up.. I can’t expect them to be everywhere, only God can do that.
I am on a coffee fast right now but when I went out for ice cream I got coffee chocolate chunk. It was wonderful! But I never even thought about the coffee. Or the prayers I am supposed to be reminded of when I am thinking about coffee. I wan’t going to a coffee shop so no partners would have known I needed any accountability! So since my Great Accountability Partner in the Sky didn’t tap me on the shoulder and say, “Hey!” I think I’m good on it. But I should go pray now, lol!