A Year of Thanks 2012

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            A thanks to the friend who ‘caught me’ and made me go get help

            A thanks to the friend who let me cry on her bed

            A thanks to the friend who taught me how to knit

            A thanks to the classmates that helped the Holy Spirit to dwell and open me

            A thanks to the co-workers who taught me

            A thanks to the folks I ministered with, for teaching me, and letting me be part of your life, your secrets, and your hopes

            A thanks to the people in my life who understood

            A thanks for the couple who bought me pancakes on Palm Sunday

            A thanks to the roommate who shared her bunny with me

            A thanks for the courtyard conversations

            A thanks to the folks who I traveled with, who made a dream possible

            A thanks to the teachers who where willing to go to bat for me

            A thanks to the folks who I know that I can sick on others to fight for me

            A thanks to the people I’ve met this year who get where I’m coming from

            A thanks to face book for keeping me intact, and connected

            A thanks for pharmaceuticals

            A thanks to the people who are part of my ‘team’

            A thanks to Barnes and Noble for keeping me stocked

            A thanks for glue, that has allowed me to glue part of my life to paper

            A thanks to Amazon for keeping me stocked on just about everything

            A thanks to the TV show Rev. for helping me to keep things in perspective

            A thanks for the time of darkness to learn how to see differently in the obscure

            A thanks to the time spent on the bus for two weeks

            A thanks to Hope

            A thanks to journaling

            A thanks to art, and music

            A thanks to the inspiration that helped me hit my first home run, and experience my first post sermon high

            A thanks for the detour

            A thanks for the five day time out

            A thanks to the jerks who made me stand up to them, and restored my courage

            A thanks to the internet for information, and comradely,

            A thanks to the worlds best nurse

            A thanks for Sunday night TV watching

            A thanks to community, even when it is complicated

            A thanks to ‘all in this together’

            A thanks to the Turkish public works man who said ‘Panik Yuklu’ to us

            A thanks for the steak knives going to butter knives

            A thanks for tea

            A thanks for my carpet

            A thanks for dreams, not dashed

            A thanks for new dreams to be dreamed

            A thanks for loss, and the grieving and mourning that come with it

            A thanks for new experiences that, challenge, uplift, push down, and push back

            A thanks for my air conditioner

            A thanks for Snapple, and my Snapple dealer

            A thanks for freinds who celebrate with you, and weep with you

            A thanks for the scholarships I get to go to school

            A thanks to all that have taught me this past year, good, bad, indifferent, what I want to do, what I don’t want to do, life lessons of all sorts

            A thanks to those who made me learn something on my own. 

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Let us Camp out Together, on the Floor

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            So true to the title of my blog, I was once again a physical itinerant camper this week. With Sandy laying her wrath on New Jersey, Drew kept power until about nine pm on Monday night. I could have gone home but decided that it was safer to stay ironically in the University in the Forest. On Tuesday morning the trees and branches down on campus was incredible. Campus faired well with the exception of damage to one residential building.  Come Tuesday afternoon we where told that we needed to evacuate campus. The place that they found for us students was a United Methodist church down the road. I gathered my ‘go bag’ pillow, blankets, a pair of sturdy shoes, yoga mat and some snacks to stay for an indefinite period of time.

            Loading up our cars, we formed a caravan down the road and the parade of pepple into the church looked like we were preparing for a week at summer camp. I stayed in the Beyonce Suite, or the Single Ladies Suite. We where fed and my friend K, who works at the church provided me with her inflatable mattress. I was very excited to not sleep on the floor and was able to provide my yoga mat to another lady staying with us. It was a little uncomfortable but nothing compared to the news we where receiving from those around us.

            Wednesday morning everyone wandered around a bit trying to figure out the true lay out of the land. Fed well for the day my friend S and I walked into town and found so much damage. The craziest thing I viewed was a lamp post hanging over a power line. But it was so nice to see that business that where open where sharing there power and heat, to provide wi-fi and charging stations.  We returned back to the church and hung out for a bit and then received a visit from the new UM Bishop of Greater New Jersey. Then well he was still in the building the power went out. This rose some tensions in the building, but we managed. S prepared dinner for us with her book light as a head lamp in her headband. Clever S.

            I went with K to go gather more blankets to help keep our families with babies and toddlers warm and then B a president of a student caucus on campus came with Korean food. Prepared for us by a congregant of a connected church to Drew.  She also was there everyday to make sure that everyone was well and warm.  It was wonderful to see my two colleagues in ministry take ‘thou authority’, and do ministry in ways the had not planed for.

            We spent Wednesday night in the dark, but this provided opportunity for ‘girl talk’ and some incredibly funny moments. Such as the scared monastic, or a fellow student fearful of the dark cold sanctuary. She ended up using the Noah system or the buddy system.

            Thursday morning was tense as we awaited the news if we would be moving to another church, the town shelter or hunkering down. We had really good pizza for lunch and then our Dean came and tried to get a read of the crowd. We where told about an hour latter to pack up as we where moving. But then the wonderful news came that power was back on at campus!  We where going home!

            This has been a humbling experience for me. Reminding me that we had the Ritz of shelter situations. We had a building and furniture to return to, well so many people do not have any of these things to return to.  There are so many lessons to be learned and so many scriptures that relate to this experience, but I felt well cared for and knew the Spirit to be fully present for our stay. 

*The title comes from a hymn that we sing frequently for communion here at school and the verse that sticks out for me is "Let us break bread together on our knees" then a snip-it "with our face to the rising Son, oh Lord have mercy on us"