Whirling, twirling, out of control. This is what I think of as I think about the evening’s readings and discussion. http://breadforyourjourney.blogspot.com/
We began with the reading from Mark and talking about how sometimes we feel like we have failed and we see others who are succeeding and we might envy them, as it looks easy from the outside looking in. As we moved to the second reading we read the whines as a group out loud. You could really feel the complaining and how common their reasons for complaining were. I could really relate to this. Sometimes it seems easier to complain than to take action or make a different choice. What is really great about the reading from Numbers is that, at least for me I can relate and that God had an answer for Moses. The Spirit will be shared among a group of leaders. Moses' was no longer alone, in leadership. I believe that by sharing leadership people can be better served. Then the third reading although brief is packed with movement, taking listening which is often thought of as passive to something that helps energize and expand people causing growth. I truly agree with the thoughts expressed in this reading.
We had a lot of discussion about feeling out of control and how we seek help in these situations. Do we delegate some of our tasks, do we find a friend to vent too so our thoughts and actions can become clear, or might we retreat into ourselves which doesn’t help things to move forward or to get done. So many choices and each reading gives us a different way of reflecting on the times when we feel out of control.
During the discussion Kari also had us view this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jeca3isOoW4
This explanation of the Sufi Whirling Dervish was very enlightening to me. There is something so natural about spinning around. Children do it all the time for seemingly no reason. There is a sense of freedom when your twirl. In this video the narrator explains that this is a meditative process and as you whirl there is a point when your center becomes still. I love this idea. I think when you reach this point there must be such a sense of peace and hope that anything is possible. My personal twitter and IM name is “twirlingforfun” and this came from a very difficult time in my life when my husband and I were going through infertility treatment. I was trying to discover ways of coping with this process and the rollercoaster of emotions I was feeling (which is often equated to the feelings and emotions of dealing with a terminal illness). We attended a mind body program in which they introduced us to Loretta LaRoche (http://www.lorettalaroche.com/) who was very clear that you should laugh everyday and twirl everyday whether you felt like it or not. These actions help you to feel better. I have never forgotten that and when I am having a bad day my husband will often twirl with me in the kitchen.
As we moved into our time of reflection Kari offered us three different ways of reflecting on the theme for this evening. The first was a listening station where there were two songs one by Hoobistank called “Out of Control” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ZA0xX6_g4
And the other called “Swim” by Jack Mannequin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA8PaIw5gcE&feature=related
These are both very different and caused me to reflect on being out of control but persisting.
The next station was a reading station and there were many things to look at but one particular poem I just loved from “Something BIG Has Been Here” by Jack Prelustsky. The poem entitled “I Should Have Stayed in Bed Today”. This poem just describes a very particular day of small annoyances that can really cause you to be discouraged. It made me smile with its silly phrases, “I squirted toothpaste in my ear” or “I knocked my homework off the desk, it landed on my toes.” Chaos can be little things but how we react can make all the difference.
The third themed area was called “pick your own metaphor” when life is crazy and out of control what are some of the metaphors you think of. There were a wide variety of options. Do you try to cling to an anchor? Do you spin out of control? Do you end up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop? to name a few. A couple of things others had written, spinning wheel – turns a lump of wooliness into a strong and useful yarn that binds things together; God is…a guest, a sympathizer, all around me, a loved one, an empathizer, a breaker of boundaries, an unknown, an energizer. What is your Safety Net or your Security Blanket? What about your, Uplifting Wind, or Swimming Buddy?
As you can see there was a lot to think about and reflect upon these are only a few of my wonderings. I hope you share some of yours and that you might join the conversation.
