Wonder-Land...

Rain! And the weather changes yet again. From hot to very cold. But, I love this weather, after all, it was the rain that first brought me to the foothills. Before my arrival here, I wandered through desert lands, praying all the while for rain. My time in the desert taught me that water is life. So, when I arrived here ten years ago, it was as if I had stepped into a Tolkien sanctuary. My body drank in the rain. I felt cleansed.

Today, as I walked in from the market, cold and wet, one of my adopted grandmothers opened the door of her home and called out to me. "Come here! I have something to tell you." From the sense of urgency in Mareda's voice, I knew that she had something important to share. I walked into the satin covered living room. Amidst the potted plants, and framed photographs of childhood scenes from Burma, Mareda spoke of her dream from last night. "I woke up at three a.m. and drew this picture." Mareda held out the drawing in her hand. It was detailed, and beautifully illustrated. She told me God had spoken to her in the dream, and had instructed her to draw the image. Mareda explained the meaning behind the symbols she had drawn. Lily, Cross, shepherd's staff, ferns, and grapes on the vine flowed from one to the other on the paper I held before me.

I looked at my little adopted neighbor. Is it so hard to imagine, as people grow older, they grow closer to God and the Light? This wizened grandmother that sat next to me had been deeply affected by her dream vision. I listened attentively, respectfully.

The wind and the water beat fiercely against my window, as I write this letter. Dear reader, you who are so full of love, would you not have listened too had you been called to witness the words of the Old? Knowing the love that flows so freely from your heart, could my heart love any less? Beloved reader, I followed your example as one lost would follow floating diamonds in the night.

We witness one another, and we celebrate this vast wonder land.