Thin Places II

Sitting in my chair at the end of the day, I asked myself yesterday's question. Where did I see God today? Since I didn't leave the house I had to check my surroundings pretty closely to see where Holy might be hiding in plain sight. Since the den looks like a fabric volcano erupted, to find God in here would be to crawl around on my hands and knees and risk being stuck by straight pins.

But I didn't need to go any further than my trusty laptop computer and bloglist. Wholly Jeanne, author of a couple blogs I follow, is working on a creative project that I find delightful and inspiring at the same time.  One day after watching her developmentally disabled sister-in-law, Nancy, draw in a notebook using a pen of her favorite color, WJ decided to transfer each drawing to fabric then embroider them with purple thread. It's a wonderful idea for a quilt. With the only problem being Nancy is nothing if not prolific and WJ may be stitching for awhile. If all the squares are put together, they might make the world's largest quilt.  Right now deciding what to do with the squares is part of the blossoming project.

As I read the words WJ wrote today, and scrolled through daily pictures of finished pieces, and watched a video of Nancy at work, I got a sense of a place beyond the veil.  First of all there is the way WJ (in her own words) "flat out loves her." There's a sweetness in the words she uses to describe taking Nancy for a ride in a convertible.  There's the way she lets others opine about various health issues Nancy might have, but doesn't let any of it scare her.  WJ totally accepts Nancy for is who she is and what she can do at the moment. No looking back. No projecting to the future.  How can you help but see Divine love in that kind of relationship?

I asked WJ if Nancy tells her anything about her drawings. If there's a way to know the story(s) behind each one. "Nancy simply draws and smiles," answered Jeanne. "Her smile is consistent, never wavering." That sounds to me like maybe Nancy might live in a "thin place." A place where she is in constant contact with the creator of the color purple.  No one will ever know the whys behind Nancy's disabilities, any more than we will know what her pictures mean to her.  Perhaps God's special gift to her - an ever present smile - is the only answer we need.

A week's worth of drawings

WJ has begun putting her finished pieces in different places to photograph them. I think it gives them yet another dimension.  When I saw this picture, I couldn't help but see the resemblance to Tibetan prayer flags hanging from Himalayan mountaintops. Prayer flags are decorated with mantras which are used to promote peace, compassion, strength and wisdom. By hanging the flags in high places their blessings can be carried on the wind to benefit all.* By sharing Nancy's art, I believe, WJ is doing the same thing - spreading blessings that will benefit all.

Today I'm grateful for a new way of looking at things that are right under my nose.

How were you blessed today?
Merry ME

Photo by Wholly Jeanne
*Wikipedia