In the past few days, I have witnessed miracles.
First, my sons were messing around by the back door. Our back door entry is a small landing above a flight of stairs into our basement. At the bottom of the stairs is our laundry room and to the left of our washing machines, a hallway. My youngest was told repeatedly to get out of the landing and to stop blocking his older brother from coming in the door. He refused to move insisting his brother endlessly guess at the “password” for granting entry. Just as my husband was going to lead him out of the door way, my oldest decided to push his way in the door, fed up with his little brother’s antics. Little brother went flying brutally backwards down the flight of stairs, somehow rolling past the wall before the laundry, dodging the machines and pivoting left into the hallway.
I thought he was surely dead or in need of serious hospitalization. I have never felt so instantly terrified. I think I was in shock for a moment. He screamed from fright and fear once he hit the bottom of his fall, and my husband who followed after him, carried him up the stairs sobbing.
The little guy was completely unharmed! It was as if there was a bubble of grace around him.
Of course, I, on the other hand, was a complete mess. First, I thought I was having a heart attack. I had to sit down, but it wasn’t enough. As my chest pressure dissipated, I dry heaved over the toilet for a minute or two. Then, I finally laid down with my little bubs to mellow out and give thanks for his salvation. We eventually got up and carried on with our day, as usual. We were all shaken, but it was an otherwise routine evening. I still struggled to sleep last night. I couldn’t get that trauma out of my head. What if it had been different?
Next, I received an email from our property manager that our landlord was pleased with our family for doing so much to take care of the property landscape. This has been a point of contention putting us in a position wherein we suspected we might be evicted and fighting a court battle to salvage the return of our deposit. While we have been doing whatever we can to care for this property to the best of our ability, the homeowner (according to our property manager) had some unrealistic expectations about what upkeep should look like. That was coupled with a lawn disease that was instigated before we moved in and which we’d been trying to mitigate since shortly after we moved in. I had aerated the lawn, laid new seed and covered it with a mulch topsoil last year just prior to a record heat wave, drought and water supply shortages. The latter lead the city to cut off the water supply we required to get the seeds growing. Last year, that put a couple hundred dollars and a lot of my time and effort down the metaphoric drain.
Nevertheless, the frustration and fear of having to find a new place in this real estate market and with Aaron just starting to have steady full time employment has been weighing on me. I sincerely hope the message is a sign that closes this chapter of our lives for the time being. I want to keep working on the yard, but not with the fear that our efforts will be tossed to the wind. I don’t want to be scrambling for a rental in this insane real estate market. The more I see what’s available or more honestly, what’s not, I just don’t want to be homeless or trying to move right now.
On the brightest note, the arugula from last year has come back up in my garden. It’s flourishing. It already bolted, in fact. I had no idea it would bolt this early in spring. I chopped off the hearty stems and buds. I came in the house with my harvest, and I scoured the internet for a recipe or indication of uses for them. Not finding a single reference, I nibbled a few bites and got an idea. I made a simple, Asian inspired, green salad with them which was delicious! I’ll be adding that recipe to my True Anarchist’s Cookbook.
Prayer of Gratitude, April 5th, 2022
I know that the Spirit is abundant, present and steadfast. I have seen the signs of the Spirit in my life in so many ways in just a few days. I am in awe in the recognition of this light in my life, elevating me and alleviating my burdens. I am so grateful.
I am confident more and more as the evidence of this All Knowing, All Seeing, All Loving Presence reveals Itself to me. I embrace my blossoming confidence in this Presence with hope and courage. I feel a renewed sense of wonder, of reverence and of determination to proceed on this path toward connection with the Divine. I know I am always connected, of course, but to be constantly aware and cognizant of this connection is my new calling. As I grow in this cognizance, in this awareness, I delight in sharing it with others, that they, too, may experience the confidence as the Spirit answers prayers that don’t even have time to be spoken.
In this expanding consciousness of the Grace of the Almighty God, I give thanks. Thanks for mercy. Thanks for faithfulness. Thanks for growth. Thanks for health, wealth and unconditional love.
I release these Words of gratitude into the actionable power of the Holy Spirit continuing to fashion the outcome of further faith and confidence, further awareness and further wonderous occasions for which gratitude may be shared. I release. I let go, and I let God do all the work, the best work in the most powerful ways in the perfect time. I know that it is already coming into my experience as more to be grateful for right here and now. For that, I say, “thank you” and so it is!
Amen.