I spent a few days in Spain with my friends, Brad and Heidi Bailey. They moved to Madrid this summer from my home corps, Oakbrook Terrace. They were my corps officers for the last few years, but much more than that, they have been good friends for a long time. We keep saying “Who would have ever imagined that we would be living in Europe and at the same time?!” So, before my life is completely absorbed by the training program here, I escaped to Madrid and to my friends. We talked and talked, ate and ate, drank many cups of coffee and watched movies, as well as touring the country. It was exactly what I needed and I’m so glad I did it. I realized on the way home to Latvia that they will be my last physical connection to home (USA) until this summer. (unless someone gets inspired to come and visit me – hint, hint…) I could write paragraphs about the beautiful things I saw. Incredible architecture and wonderful inspiring art in museums, castles and cathedrals. The Catholic influence means many biblical paintings and I love to see the perspective each artist puts in his work. I’ll try to post some pictures. I could also write about the precious conversations we had, but you had to be there to follow all the different directions we took as we talked and really, they were just between us. So, instead I’ll share something I read while I was there. Along with my Advent reading, I decided to catch up on some magazines which have been sitting in my ‘to read’ pile. I grabbed one published by The Upper Room, called Weavings. If you have any leanings toward contemplation this is a good resource. My friend, Diana Winters, recommended it to me a while ago. You can check it out at www.upperroom.com. This issue is called “Behold the Beauty of the Lord” and I was blessed and moved as I read articles about discovering the Lord’s Beauty in the ordinary places and events of life. Here are a few quotes which really touched me:
Simple Places – As Jesus’ followers, if we are to find true community with one another and with him, then we should look not just to the massive throng or the dramatic moment. We should look as well to the simplest instance of one life brushing up against another. We should open ourselves to the small and intimate moments when persons draw together in their joys and in their needs.
Luminous Saints – “They are persons irradiated by the grace of God who answer back to the love of God in whatever setting they may be placed and ‘in whom…Christ is felt to live again.’ They seek not to be safe but to be faithful. They have developed a gristle that enables them to stand fast in adversity. They love persons rather than humanity in general. They believe all life is sacramental.” (Douglas Steere) (Evie’s note – I started to make a list of these kind of saints in my life and filled a page in just a few minutes. I wish I could thank them but for now, I thank God for them. Maybe someday I’ll list them here, but I’m sure I’d miss someone or two or three – it will be a never ending list.)
Being Buoyed by Beauty – She peered down at her funny looking feet, aged by years of trudging along, marked by the effects of heredity. Suddenly the verse came to her: How beautiful are the feet of those who carry the good news of peace. She decided to sing a new song.
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