The Silent Welcomer

Yesterday was a God send.  After seven days  of silence with God at the Jesuit Center, and leaving early to sit through two days of staff meetings.... Friday was a funk.

Saturday morning Mosaic Woman and I headed off (7 blocks) with a Fit-full of crafts and our booth to the Lansdale Farmer's Market.  In four hours we would welcome 23 or so friends to our booth (I made the list while praying last night).  The percentage of those friends who purchased a mosaic yesterday is not huge, however, if you look at over the last four years, most have at least one of our pieces.  But what matters most is how many of those friends would have helped Mosaic Woman, who was home alone when Hurricane Irene hit SE PA.  And knowing that she was cared for, helped me get some peace in the silence of a wet and stormy night.

Yesterday, one of the friends bought a welcome sign.  This excites me.  We have made two welcome signs and both are with friends.

On the day before the hurricane, I sat waiting for worship.  I watched as a flow of retreatants and those who guide them to God entered the space.  I thought, "I should be standing by that cart of hymnals greeting people."  That's what we call it at Holy Trinity.  Being a Greeter.  

The hurricane came and went north to cause more havoc.  My idea of greeting seemed less and less appealing.

But I threw it out there during my final meeeting with my guide.  She seemed to think that it was a fine idea.  So I entered the space early, fought of all the social anxiety and took my place.  People were surprised as I handed them a hymnal and most smiled.  But in my final hours of the retreat, I made eye contact with all of those folk, who got a bookmark, but that is another story.  As for this morning, I welcomed people at church and looked into their eyes. 

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