After my early morning worry-fest (see previous post), I drew Motherpeace tarot cards and checked their meaning. Each related in some way to worry and fear. The Five of Discs knocked me over:
The Five of Discs is a picture of tension held in the body, the kind of tightness that comes with worry. Probably the mind is focused on survival issues of some kind—money, housing, jobs.... It helps to keep the energy moving—maybe do something physical to keep from sinking into a dark state of consciousness (or unconsciousness).
...Better to mobilize energy toward positive goals. While the hands are busy, perhaps the mind can use the Discs in the background as centering devices for focusing calm, magical intentions toward the future.
Mom called to ask if I had any blankets or coats I could spare. The young people of a local church are camping out in the church parking lot until they receive a certain number of blankets and coats to share with local homeless shelters. Together, we filled my sister's Escape with blankets and coats and toilet paper and soap (always useful at shelters) and drove to the church. The people we met there are walking the talk.
Burly men in insulated coveralls met us at the curb to help unload the car. Half a dozen teenagers stood watch over a bonfire in the center of the encampment. More were stacking and storing the coats and blankets in the back of a panel truck.
One of the men noticed a baby blanket Mom was donating, one she quilted on her new machine. He suggested we go see what was going on inside and guided us into the church and into an enormous room where a dozen older women sat at long tables sewing together lengths of fabric and batting. One lovely silver haired lady was using scraps of newspaper to protect her sewing machine needle as she stitched together 10-foot strips of heavy batting. "I'm 80 years old," she told me, "but I can still help." All around the room, teenagers were sorting and counting and stacking blankets and fabric and batting.
Somehow our conversation uncovered the fact that the church provides dinner once a month at a homeless shelter. The women of the church bake desserts and a committee goes to the shelter to cook meatloaf and mashed potatoes and green beans and salad. They serve over 800 meals each time and can always use extra hands. Apparently, they got the message about mobilizing energy toward positive goals.
So did I. Peeling potatoes for 800 should keep my hands plenty busy, don't you think?
9 comments:
So encouraging- thank you! So easy to get discouraged, but not so helpful!
Now that's the type of church story I can get behind!
No accidents.
You are a wonder! And an inspiration!
This older woman's words made my eyes tear up...
:)
And it should make you feel good while you do it. GOOD GIRL GO POTTY OUTSIDE!!!
its one thing to read the cards, another to heed their advice- doggie treat coming your way!
That's what I'm talking about (see my comment on the previous post)! Screw the economy of money. Look at the currency of love. It's alive and well.
Another comment on an old, old post, but this jogged my memory of something I learned about one summer. You should check out the Linus Project. If I remember correctly without Googling, they make blankets for babies and children in poverty or something like that. Their mascot and name comes from Linus from Peanuts because of his blanket.
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