Earlier this month I spent a day at the Monastery of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota for a quiet time in the spirituality center on the campus. The sisters of the order of St. Benedict were my elementary teachers in Idaho so it was a bittersweet visit for me to this monastery so far away from my childhood. Fifty years have passed and my memories of strict German nuns are with me still. To my surprise and delight I found this community of mostly middle-aged to retirement age women thoroughly filled with faith, gracious, caring and able to minister to us who grapple with every day life in the 21st century. During free time I wandered the grounds to a small vineyard and a huge garden spot, earth recently turned, ready for spring. The shadow in my photo is cast by a tall octagon shaped martin house and thriving bittersweet.
Time is a great healer. And what was a quick decision to face my fears left me with a light heart.
I'm linking my experience to ABC Wednesday whose letter du jour is S.
"A sign of God is that we are led
to a place we did not intend to go.”
Anonymous
