Gifts

These past weeks have been full of tension and excitement for us. The tension comes from a movement, a sense that something new is happening, both within us and in the communities of which we are a part. Our days have sometimes been exhausting, but we have been connecting with new people and engaging in surprising conversations.

Perhaps it is that we have stepped gingerly out of crisis/survival mode (trying to constantly figure out how to get by and what the next step will be) and are now able to open ourselves to change and growth. Or maybe that possibility relies too much on logic.... Could this movement be the Spirit?

Eric's small group gatherings at one of his churches have led people to consider moving into a new place as far as how they see themselves as part of this larger community. We have discovered that others are experiencing a nudging, a strange breeze blowing in. I have had the opportunity to talk with "regular" church folks about their experiences with migrants and of being sojourners. I have seen a pastor at a loss for words when a powerful encounter led him to consider abandoning his carefully laid out plan. I have helped 2nd graders insert punctuation into their creative stories.

These encounters have been gifts for us. We are working on letting ourselves get caught up with the movement of the wind.