Helen is a complex, private individual whose faith and understanding of the Bible is not at all private but about as complex as she is. She is always the first up and completely dressed when I get there at 5:30 AM so we do get some private time together. As she sat in the dining room eating her oatmeal, I was putting some napkins out and asked her where she was from. "Now why does everyone ask me that?" I replied "Because it is a good place to start a conversation." "Well, I don't share much of anything with anyone about myself. I don't tell people about my children. I'm widowed and I am alone. You know, kind of like Jesus when he was told his mother and brothers were outside to see him. He said that these were his family and his brothers. Do you remember that part?". "Yes," I said "and I never have understood that." "What do you mean?" "Well, it always bothered me that He did not 'honor his mother and father' - it always seemed to me that he was denying his family - and I never could understand why He he did that."
I do wish I could quote to you verbatim her response but it was just so profound that I had to just lean back against the doorjamb and listen and comprehend, not remember, if you understand the difference. She proceeded to tell me, teach me, that Jesus was different, he is a part of God, not of the flesh and because of that - as she pinched her own hand - "I am not my old self either. I am not this flesh but born again and no longer the person I was. I never will be again, I couldn't be." Jesus wasn't meant to be understood, she said. I wanted to say "that's for sure" but it would have spoiled her chain of thought. Mine was how can this woman be so profound and have nothing, but I who have more than I need just doesn't get it sometimes. Too busy, too much stuff that gets in the way of paying attention to the God in me, probably.
Last night before dinner, we had a short everyone-standing-up kind of meeting to make announcements about this weekend. I had told them when they first arrived that we had no arrangements for them staying over the weekend. In my mind, I wanted to see how the week would play out because last year I asked our guests who wanted to stay for the weekend and because we got about six staying, we made all kinds of plans with art classes, manicurists, hair dressers, etc. and then only three stayed! I wasn't doing that again. Their disappointment was visible and the question "Can we sleep later?" was very telling. A few days with them told me that they were pretty compatible, respectful of each other's space and very polite and respectful to us. And of course, I was beginning to feel guilty!! After reading the article in the Observer about the Southern Christmas Show and having participated in that for years with my business, I called the Southern Shows and asked if we could possibly have some free tickets for our group. I've worked with the owners, Robert, Joan and David Zimmerman who I found out this morning is on the SACOH board, for years and their advertising department were eager to give me tickets - 16 of them! At the meeting, I explained to the women our experience last year with people changing their minds and how we have to adjust drivers, meals, etc. and then presented them with three choices. When I told them they could stay on our campus for the weekend, they cheered. When I told them I had tickets for the show, there was even more cheering. I had made up a chart - previous experiences are as good as hind sight - and told our guests that I was going to pass around two charts, one for Saturday with 3 choices and one for Sunday with 2. Then I said to them with a big smile on my face that whatever they commit themselves to on this paper by the next morning, THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO!! Everybody laughed and by this morning the charts were completely filled out. The results are that only one person wants to go to the COH on Saturday to meet her daughter, four want to stay on campus and six want to go to the show. On Sunday, we have 3 going back to attend their own churches and eight staying on campus.
You know, one of the most interesting points made in the seminar we had a couple of weeks ago on poverty was that this population doesn't know how to plan for the future. They CAN'T. They don't know from day to day where they will be, who will be in charge, etc. We in the middle class plan for college, vacations, retirement, next week! They can't do that and with that in mind by waiting until a time closer to the weekend for a decision from them perhaps was one reason we got better and more definitive results.
After dinner, we returned to the Fellowship Hall and a yoga instructor was there for our class. The women were quite interested in this when I announced it the first night. We had about six participants along with the chaperones Bentley Ball, Shirley Coffman and Anne Arentz. Yvonne, the instructor, struck the perfect balance with quiet easy moves and a bit of challenge as well. She gave them good ideas about developing balance, like standing on one foot while they brush their teeth or doing that and brushing with their less dominant hand, things they could do no matter what their circumstances. I tried it this morning - wobble, wobble....
Tonight one of our residents from last year, Irene Wilson, who found a job while she was with us at Presby and possibly her daughter Chantelle who was with us and also found a job, are coming for dinner and a visit. A few of us have kept in touch with Irene this past year and she was absolutely delighted "and honored" to come back "with bells on." We are going to give her and any guest who wants to join her the opportunity to speak in private about her past year, what she has accomplished and how. I hope they take inspiration and motivation from her story and realize that the situation they are in is surmountable with some determination. I say that easily but I know it's a bad situation and I am so in awe of what Irene has done. Because she got the job during the time she was with us, I hope that just having a place to leave her belongings and not having to take them with her to a job interview (can you imagine???) was the tiniest bit of help.
Tomorrow Nancy Templin takes my place for three days but I'm sure I'm going to have to sneak over for a visit or two while I'm "off-duty". Meanwhile, if anyone would like to come over Saturday or Sunday and join us in doing jigsaw puzzles, playing cards, watching TV or just laying low, come on over. "You'll be glad you did."
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