"Three's a crowd."
(This entry is taken from my journal, and it was written on January 20, 2013.)
As I waited in the community room for my hermitage to be prepared for my stay, Shirley Wanchena was telling me about the vision of Pacem in Terris. Shirley is eighty-five years old and full of life. She began to tell me of the joy she finds in having all six of her children with her at once. But she truly treasures those moments when she gets to spend quality time alone with each child.
Shirley proceeded our conversation by reminding me of the phrase, "Three's a crowd." You see, Shirley has found that true intimacy is formed when it is just her and one of her children.
It's the same with God and each of His children. Pacem was birthed from these words given to Shirley almost twenty-five years ago: "Create an environment where my people can come and be alone with me."
After hearing Shirley's vision and seeing her heart, she began to ask me what I was studying and my dreams for after graduation. I could tell that she was all ears. I talked about Ethiopia, Uganda, my upcoming internship, and how my dreams have been shaped by all of these things. We even talked about where I was raised, who my family is, and how I got to NCU. (It turns out that one of her sons lives in NoDak.)
Eventually, I was taken to my hermitage. Kateri Tekakwitha was the patron saint of the hermitage prepared for me. After settling down, turning on the heater, and warming some water to make coffee, I read the story that was provided about Kateri. There was a part of the story that caused me to stop and reflect. The insert read, "At the age of four, [Kateri] survived a smallpox epidemic that killed her family and left her with a pocked face and weak eyes. She was given the name Tekakwitha, meaning 'moving forward slowly.'" Kateri was persecuted because of her faith. She was "a great witness for us in living our faith with courage and trusting in God's plan against overwhelming odds."
I like to try to identify and label the season of life I am currently living in. It helps me to better understand what is happening, why it is happening, and God's plan for it all. After reading about Kateri, I realized that I am in the season of Tekakwitha.
About nine months ago, I was where I am now---at Pacem in Terris, seeking God's peace and presence. It was nine months ago that I realized I was in the season of Nalyaka. That is the African name that was given to me while in Uganda. It is the name of the farming season it was when I was there, and it means the season of weeding.
Here is an excerpt from my journal on April 21, 2012, while I was first at Pacem:
"In my life, this is the season of Nalyaka. I have been in the process of weeding since my visit to Uganda.
I like the scenery of Pacem. The land is allowed to be. There are broken trees everywhere, and the ground is still covered with leaves from last fall.
This is how life is supposed to be---shaken and stirred, messy and broken, natural and beautiful."
So...now I am in the season of moving forward slowly. I am slowly grasping God's presence, His peace, His timing, and His plans for my life.
To end my entry, I want to go back to the thought of intimacy. This has been something I have been learning about and studying for almost two years. Some questions I have asked were "What is true intimacy?" "How do I get it?" and "Is everything supposed to be intimate?"
True intimacy is more than the intimacy found between a man and a woman. True intimacy was designed to be experienced in all relationships. Life in the garden of Eden between Adam and Eve was vulnerable, open, and raw in every area of their lives. Genesis 2:25 says, "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." That doesn't just mean that they didn't have clothes on or that they were having sexual intercourse; Adam and Eve knew true intimacy.
True intimacy was designed to be experienced between God and His child, His creation, His beloved.
I have been slowly making my way through the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. I grabbed the book before I left for Pacem, because I figured this would be a great place to continue and maybe even finish the book. Tonight, I read this about intimacy:
"Often, Jesus will call us away to spend precious time alone with Him. We grow in our intimacy with Jesus as we practice listening to His urging, His nudges within. Pay attention to them and follow. The Holy Spirit is our guide, and He will lead us. Abiding in Christ means paying attention to the voice of God within, nourishing our own hearts, and nourishing our relationship with Him. Over time."
This is the season of Tekakwitha---moving forward slowly in intimacy with God.
As I waited in the community room for my hermitage to be prepared for my stay, Shirley Wanchena was telling me about the vision of Pacem in Terris. Shirley is eighty-five years old and full of life. She began to tell me of the joy she finds in having all six of her children with her at once. But she truly treasures those moments when she gets to spend quality time alone with each child.
Shirley proceeded our conversation by reminding me of the phrase, "Three's a crowd." You see, Shirley has found that true intimacy is formed when it is just her and one of her children.
It's the same with God and each of His children. Pacem was birthed from these words given to Shirley almost twenty-five years ago: "Create an environment where my people can come and be alone with me."
After hearing Shirley's vision and seeing her heart, she began to ask me what I was studying and my dreams for after graduation. I could tell that she was all ears. I talked about Ethiopia, Uganda, my upcoming internship, and how my dreams have been shaped by all of these things. We even talked about where I was raised, who my family is, and how I got to NCU. (It turns out that one of her sons lives in NoDak.)
Eventually, I was taken to my hermitage. Kateri Tekakwitha was the patron saint of the hermitage prepared for me. After settling down, turning on the heater, and warming some water to make coffee, I read the story that was provided about Kateri. There was a part of the story that caused me to stop and reflect. The insert read, "At the age of four, [Kateri] survived a smallpox epidemic that killed her family and left her with a pocked face and weak eyes. She was given the name Tekakwitha, meaning 'moving forward slowly.'" Kateri was persecuted because of her faith. She was "a great witness for us in living our faith with courage and trusting in God's plan against overwhelming odds."
I like to try to identify and label the season of life I am currently living in. It helps me to better understand what is happening, why it is happening, and God's plan for it all. After reading about Kateri, I realized that I am in the season of Tekakwitha.
About nine months ago, I was where I am now---at Pacem in Terris, seeking God's peace and presence. It was nine months ago that I realized I was in the season of Nalyaka. That is the African name that was given to me while in Uganda. It is the name of the farming season it was when I was there, and it means the season of weeding.
Here is an excerpt from my journal on April 21, 2012, while I was first at Pacem:
"In my life, this is the season of Nalyaka. I have been in the process of weeding since my visit to Uganda.
I like the scenery of Pacem. The land is allowed to be. There are broken trees everywhere, and the ground is still covered with leaves from last fall.
This is how life is supposed to be---shaken and stirred, messy and broken, natural and beautiful."
So...now I am in the season of moving forward slowly. I am slowly grasping God's presence, His peace, His timing, and His plans for my life.
To end my entry, I want to go back to the thought of intimacy. This has been something I have been learning about and studying for almost two years. Some questions I have asked were "What is true intimacy?" "How do I get it?" and "Is everything supposed to be intimate?"
True intimacy is more than the intimacy found between a man and a woman. True intimacy was designed to be experienced in all relationships. Life in the garden of Eden between Adam and Eve was vulnerable, open, and raw in every area of their lives. Genesis 2:25 says, "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." That doesn't just mean that they didn't have clothes on or that they were having sexual intercourse; Adam and Eve knew true intimacy.
True intimacy was designed to be experienced between God and His child, His creation, His beloved.
I have been slowly making my way through the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. I grabbed the book before I left for Pacem, because I figured this would be a great place to continue and maybe even finish the book. Tonight, I read this about intimacy:
"Often, Jesus will call us away to spend precious time alone with Him. We grow in our intimacy with Jesus as we practice listening to His urging, His nudges within. Pay attention to them and follow. The Holy Spirit is our guide, and He will lead us. Abiding in Christ means paying attention to the voice of God within, nourishing our own hearts, and nourishing our relationship with Him. Over time."
This is the season of Tekakwitha---moving forward slowly in intimacy with God.
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