Holy Ground

(This blog post was inspired by another blog post I read earlier tonight that my friend Dan wrote. You can read his blog post here: The Gift of Perspective)

There is a children’s book on my shelf titled “If you’re not from the prairie….” This book was shared with me many years ago by a dear friend. As she read the book to me, I fell in love with it. It captures so well how I feel when I’m on the prairies (hence the title of my blog!)Here is a page from the book; “If you’re not from the prairie, you don’t know the wind, you can’t know the wind; our cold winds of winter cut right to the core, hot summer wind devils can blow down the door, As children we know when we play any game; the wind will be there, yet we play just the same, if you’re not from the pairie, you don’t know the wind.”(If you’re not from the Prairie;David Bouchard and Henry Ripplinger;Aladdin Paperbacks Copyright 1995)

I’ve always felt God’s presence on the wide open prairies. There is just something so incredibly holy about the prairies. I am reminded of the many families who have farmed the prairie lands. I think of my uncle, dad, and grandfather who daily work on the prairie. As a teenager, I loved driving in the tractor, taking in the vastness and holiness of the prairie.
Recently my new aunt was commenting on how she has been loving the wide open prairies but has noisy neighbors (the cows!). I said to her, “There is just something so incredibly holy about the prairies. Its hard to explain unless you have experienced it for yourselves.”

The prairies allow me to see the sky as wide and as far as I can see. In so many ways, it reminds me of how wide and vast God’s love for us is! The prairies allow me to feel the wind and remind me of the gift of the Holy Spirit (Can you tell I’m working on a Pentecost sermon for Sunday?) The prairies are the one place I go to–to be refreshed! The prairie always will hold a special place in my life. In so many and various ways, the prairie is “holy space” for me!

I love how the children’s book closes. It truly captures how the prairie makes me feel. It reads “You see, my hair’s mostly wind, my eyes filled with grit, my skin’s red or brown, my lips chapped and split,I’ve lain on the prairie and heard grasses sigh, I’ve started at the vast open bowl of the sky, I’ve seen all those castles and faces in the clouds, my home is the prairie, and I cry out loud.”(If you’re not from the Prairie;David Bouchard and Henry Ripplinger;Aladdin Paperbacks Copyright 1995)

Wednesday Tidbits

Confirmation tonight was fun! I used the smell of popcorn popping to talk about the 4th petition to the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Then I had them engage in caring conversation, “Is it harder or easier to pray for food etc when you can smell it, see it, etc or when you cant? So fun to watch our mentors/mentees engage and talk to each other. I love that its about teaching them and helping them take faith home!
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So many of my friends are having babies! So excited for them. My colleague became a new grandpa last night….their first granddaughter. So precious! What a gift from God!
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As many of you my faithful readers know, Im constantly thinking and reflecting on my singleness. Im so ready to find my Mr. Right etc. And as I am at the time in my life when I am so ready and yearn so deeply for these things, I find myself realizing how much harder it is. I am trying to be patient and trust in God but that is so much easier said than done especially when friends are announcing their engagement or talking about their new child. I honestly am so excited for them but find myself holding back some because it is something I yearn so deeply for. Will I ever walk down the aisle? Will I ever be a mom and hold my precious child in my arms? And then I find myself thinking about what if it doesnt happen, then maybe I could adopt etc. I honestly can say I haven’t really thought about that but it is something that has popped into my mind more recently.
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So thankful and blessed for the awesome friends and family in my life. I wish I could see more of you more often. Tonight a friend posted about his approval language. I remember so well that day and am so thankful for the people that walked with me etc. I am humbled by what you/they have taught me. You have blessed my life in more ways than I could ever imagine!
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Well thats the end of this Wednesday tidbits post. Goodnight friends and faithful readers!!