“A Black Mother Talks to God” is the title of the book my mother, Louise, self-published in 1988. And this is the photo from a few days ago that inspired me to search out the book, because it brought to mind this poem.
THE SUNSET The sunset beautiful touches my soul As I view archangels rise from the throne Spread out their wings, dip their fingers in gold And flood o’er the world to watch o’er God’s own.
The sun retires in its bed the Pacific. The tinted sky reflects the peace of the sea. O may my life set with rays that explicitly Show the peace that God bestowed on me.
I’ll be at peace when I take my rest. I’ll look back on the path I have trod. Though my life will be gone, I will be blessed For that path carried me upward to God.
O what a blessedness abides in the heart Of her who sees her God in all, not part. –by Rev. Louise Stroud
This evening I was looking for the book of prayers and poems that my mother self-published many years ago; I didn’t find it, though it’s got to be here somewhere. I’ll keep looking tomorrow.
However, in the process I happened to see a book that I’ve had since high school (maybe even junior high): “Apples of Gold” by Jo Petty.
It’s a book of quotes and aphorisms sorted into categories such as love, joy, faith, peace, etc. I remember loving it in my teens and twenties, marking quotes and passages that especially resonated with me. I even dipped into it in my thirties (I can tell because I marked a particular quote with the date!), but I don’t believe I’ve opened it even once in the past thirty years.
And yet, I always took it with me everywhere I moved, which has been a lot of places in the past thirty years! Here are a few of the quotes that I loved then and still appreciate now…
Let us realize that what happens round us is largely outside our control, but that the way we choose to react to it is inside our control.
Do you spend more than you make on things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like?
Some folks just don’t seem to realize when they’re moaning about not getting prayers answered, that NO is the answer
Do you pray, and then believing, Grab your boots and parasol; Scrub the barrel and get ready For the rain you asked to fall?
“An object that is at rest will tend to remain at rest. An object that is in motion will tend to remain in motion.” — Isaac Newton
Yep, the good old “Law of Inertia” rides again!
It takes a lot of work/energy to get things moving, so once they’re in motion, the important thing is not to stop. I’ve learned this over and over and over in my life; here’s hoping this is the time it sticks.
I didn’t mean for yesterday’s post to be a “cliffhanger” (sorry, Lisa!😂). My intention was simply to explain why I was too distracted to write about anything else!
And it certainly isn’t anything personal. Just that sometimes when you’re gearing up to tackle something (or some things) for what seems like the umpteen-millionth time, it feels good to keep it to yourself for a time…the better to nurture your “new growth.”
“A beautiful little girl with Down syndrome, got up from her seat during a papal audience and went toward the Pope. The security guards quickly moved in to take her back to her mother. The Pope stopped everyone and said to the girl, “Come sit next to me.” The girl then sat down near him and the Holy Father continued to preach while holding hands with the little girl.” From uCatholic
The other night we watched a movie called, “The Two Popes,” starring Jonathan Pryce (as the future Pope Francis) and Anthony Hopkins (as the outgoing Pope Benedict). Though largely fictionalized, it was moving, inspiring, and thought-provoking.
I was brought up as a Protestant; my family attended a Methodist church around the corner from our home in Milpitas. I had a number of Catholic friends throughout the years, but didn’t know much about their religion.
Living for four years in Italy and southern Switzerland, where the majority of people are Catholic, was an eye-opening experience for me. I loved hearing church bells coming from all directions on Sunday mornings. And I loved watching on Palm Sunday as a procession — with priests, altar boys, and congregation — wound its way through the narrow streets of the small village where we were living.
But what touched me the most was being there in 2005 while Pope John Paul II was dying. My father was visiting from California and we took him to Milan to see the magnificent Duomo. As it turned out, instead of walking around and admiring the impressive art and architecture, we sat in the back of the cathedral and joined the hundreds of people who were congregated there to pray for the Pope.
A few days later, for the first time in my life, I heard a bell tolling and knew that John Paul had died. The sadness was palpable throughout the entire region. But soon the bells were ringing again, this time joyously…celebrating the election of Pope Benedict.
I moved from perceiving “the Pope” as an abstract concept to having a felt awareness of his significance, and I found I could relate.
Fast forward to Sacramento Airport in March of 2013. Ramesha and I were waiting to board our flight when we saw on the television in the waiting area that there was a new pope. No one else in the gate area was paying any attention, but we were suddenly glued to the screen. And that was when we were first introduced to Pope Francis.
Again, I’m not Catholic, but in some indefinable way I feel like he’s my Pope. I think this is part of why I found the movie so very touching.
THE GIFT Be still, my soul, and steadfast. Earth and heaven both are still watching though time is draining from the clock and your walk, that was confident and quick, has become slow.
So, be slow if you must, but let the heart still play its true part. Love still as once you loved, deeply and without patience. Let God and the world know you are grateful. That the gift has been given. –Mary Oliver
I know it’s kind of random, but I felt to share this poem tonight. No special reason; I simply love Mary Oliver and this really spoke to me.
Earth and heaven both are still watching…
And I am indeed grateful… That the gift has been given.
