Friday, May 8, 2009

Dearest God,

I just told her to get out of bed. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, I told her a second time to get up because I was taking her for an adventure at 7 am. My friend in the hospital was discouraged and worse yet, despairing. I had decided to kidnap her for a couple of hours. Of course, I had checked it out with the nurse first.

My friend went to the bathroom and combed her hair before she climbed into the wheelchair and I began to maneuver the wheelchair and the IV thingie on wheels. I finally got her out of her darkened room and into the elevator. First, we stopped at the cafeteria for coffee and then made our way gingerly down the slope and finally outdoors on the veranda.

We sat and talked for two hours. In the chilly air beside the ground cover landscape we laughed, yes, we laughed. I told her stories about the night before, closing down Barnes and Noble with four baskets full of clearance books, how we had them all laid out on the floor making basket items for the mission auction. We need one more fairy, an ocean and two princess books, I cried out at one point. Three of us went in separate directions to get the last books before checkout. We were noisy and probably obnoxious but did we have fun. At the time that little adventure was for my own despair.

Eventually I took my friend for a second cup of coffee and time in the cafeteria. We both breathed in fresh air of your spirit knowing somehow we would both be all right.

O God,
you are
the breath
of fresh air.
When in
your loving presence,
indeed all
is well.
A spiritual adventure,
like a
hunt for treasure,
is an antidote
for discouragement,
depression,
and despair.
The fog lifts
in your presence
revealing the light.

Loving you, Andrea