~~We Can’t See The Bigger Picture~~

There are days and moments and sometimes situations in which I clearly see bits and pieces of lives, dreams or perhaps dashed hopes and wonder, how in the world did that happen? Or perhaps, I might even think, WHY did that happen?

Back in the early 70’s, my family started going to a church which at the time, was not even acknowledged as a church. A certain priest at a certain parish was moved to take his passion and his message to a different level, to witness and minister in a very different way for those times. I think of him now and suddenly realize he was WAY ahead of his time.

A big chunk of a certain parish followed him, as he broke away from tradition and begin saying mass at the YMCA in the meeting room. It wasn’t too long before we had to move to the gym. People began organizing and actively met every week to pick current, relevant topics from our daily lives to incorporate into the messages of service and non-judgment. They sought to embody these messages and teachings, into our daily lives.

I was in middle school when this all started in a distinctly post-Vietnam era and feeling in the United States. Of course the high school and college crowds flocked to this church filled with music by the Beatles, Neil Young, James Taylor… Various groups and activities organized: a Youth group, Liturgy planning, choir, Adult education study/support groups, Marriage groups… Some of these were held at our home, all were extremely well attended, vibrant and alive.

Some of the teachings I picked up then have remaining very strongly with me throughout the years. I remember a series of books called Serendipity used in the adult education classes. Serendipity is the idea of discovering something while looking for something completed unrelated. My life seems to constantly, and lately more intensely, contain a lot of serendipity.

Perhaps due to these teachings, at least in my initial exposure to them, I integrated them with other Spiritual thoughts and came up with the idea, that in the vast Divine Plan of life, we are not privy to the inner workings and reasons things occur the way they do. One of my favorite sayings in seemingly unexplainable moments is, “We can’t see the bigger picture!”

I could cite hundreds of examples, I won’t. Suffice it to say, the glorious design of the infinitely unfolding, blossoming and expanding web of life is utterly fascinating and delightful.

The manner in which our lives are connected and intertwined and the reasons behind these connections has a habit of generally eluding most. I just watch and marvel in awe, even more so when I sit to write about X and out comes a completely different alphabet!!

BLESSINGS,

Gina