1.10.2011

A Healing Experience at Tamar's Place

Yesterday, one of our volunteers who is in recovery, inspired me all over again. She has very little, but she is both generous and content with what she has…She told me about a minor catastrophe she experienced: she broke a plate. That may not seem like much, but when you have only 3 plates and you break one, it’s a lot! As we were talking, I told her, “Charline, I am so proud to know you. You have only two plates, and yet you are happy with what you have…”

How much each of us can learn, how much healing gratitude each of us could feel, if only we could be happy with what we have! This is what I mean when I say that these women give so much…in this case, their appreciation, their gratitude for what they have. There is no envy, no sense of entitlement, no jealousy. There is only gratitude. Meister Eckhart said: "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice…” In Charline, I have seen this ‘prayer’ in action, and felt a welling up of gratitude in my own heart: one of her many gifts.

Last night, I visited Sr. Karen Hartman’s storage area for her yearly ‘garage sale’… and found 4 matching plates, cups, saucers and bowls along with some utensils and boxed them up for her. I know she will be thrilled! I wish I could be there when she opens it…
Sr. Mary Lawrence Vanderburg, SFP


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