Summer Questions

This morning, my heart is filled with gratitude and has a little more energetic light illuminating it.

Yesterday, I asked my husband if he wanted to invite some neighbors for dinner – a first for us in our relatively new neighborhood. He encouraged me to go for it!

I texted four couples to see if they could join us for a casual dinner to “christen” our new grill.

Two couples were able to come.

We sat outside and had drinks. (I hadn’t even thought to put out appetizers. I’m definitely in summer-chill mode.)

We moved inside for a “feast” of grilled meats, corn on the cob and a fresh salad with vegetables from someone’s garden. I invited people to hold hands if they were comfortable and to answer the question:

“What are you grateful for?”

We went around and intently listened to each response. One person mentioned all the birds we hear – so wonderfully true!

I expressed gratitude for our long marriages. One couple celebrated 44 years! The other couple was married the same weekend as us 32 years ago!

In 2013, when I started offering lunches at trainings, I developed the practice of going around and asking people to express gratitude!

“Why share gratitude at a table?” you ask…

·      Expressing gratitude actually benefits both our emotional and physical well-being.

·      It is an opportunity to connect with something Bigger than us – the Divine.

·      It also provides an opportunity to make connections which is important when bringing together people.

When we finished our gratitude, one person responded by sharing about how she meditates and then uses the Merlin app to identify birds. In two minutes, she often hears more than a dozen birds!

Another person asked about our long marriages and how we each met. Over the next two hours, our conversations meandered in and out of first dates, proposals, and journeys especially to being residents in this town. We learned about each person’s families and careers. We heard about lots of adventures and learned some fun facts!

  Our evening concluded with the revolutionary ColdSnap ice cream – so smooth and delicious!

As I crawled into bed, my heart was so full of love and HOPE.

I was grateful for an evening of delight – in every sense of the word, with every sense in my body.

I picked up the book my son had given me for Christmas:

Live in Grace * Walk In Love by Bob Goff.

And opened to essay 241: No one will believe our answers if we don’t get real about having a couple of questions too. What do you think? (Matthew 21:28)… It mentions that the Scriptures mention 300 questions that Jesus asked. The essay ends with: What questions are forming in your heart today?

All of this is "Divine Echoes." In her Sunday Paper, Maria Shriver repeatedly invites us to ask questions – especially of people with different political viewpoints. This weekend, she invited us to ponder: What does success look like for me? (By the way, she often shares about the people from all walks of life at her own dinner table.)

In Chani Getter’s new book, Mapito, Chani invites readers and clients to write down 50 questions and share them with a confidante. Chani suggests that a theme emerges in each list.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve been working on my 50 questions – most of which felt so existential while some have actually been answered! I am excited that today I will share my nearly 50 questions with my spiritual director!

This morning as I prayed, I was reminded of the graphic on gratitude that my artist friend was inspired to create me for me. Truly – gratitude does illuminate our hearts and spirits.

I also had such a sense of My Divine Mother holding me on Her lap – so delighted with the questions that I ask. Just as delighted with me as any parent or educator who treasures her curious child…

Let's pray:

May each of us ask the questions that guide us to more vibrant, grace-filled, loving connections with the Divine, with ourselves and with one another. May we slow down this summer and grant ourselves the time to ask questions - especially ones that invite people to pause, focus on the good in our lives and connect heart to heart – spirit to spirit. May we listen intently for answers. May we pause to notice the patterns that emerge and may we celebrate the gift of curiosity. Amen. So be it!