Visions (Plural) and Many Thanks

Can anyone relate to this? When I was a kid I thought I would become an adult - that it was a destination I would arrive at. Then I figured out that being an adult is about behavior and thinking. Now I know that I will be learning and growing every day of my life - which certainly keeps life interesting.

I had the same type of misconception of what a vision for my life would look like. I have been waiting for one HUGE vision for the rest of my life - wondering what it would be and trying not to be impatient while I waited. However that concept actually made me nervous. Would God's vision for me make me have to change everything in my life. Would I have to move? What major changes would I have to make to live that vision? 

Thanks to many Sunday messages and various Daily Words over the last few months, I realized that I could relax. The vision will come and I don't have to stress over when it will come and what it will be. Notice I'm writing "it." When I relaxed about seeing or getting a vision for my life, that is, getting "it" - one of the understandings I got was that "it" was actually going to be "them." I will be getting more than one vision for my life. My life is a rich mixture of activities. It makes sense that my visions will be a rich mixture too.

I've already written about my vision for my dad's letters in a previous post. Three years ago I had a vision about working at Unity. I asked Audrey to keep me in mind when or if the Unity Board was thinking about adding staff. I was hired almost immediately and I have been working happily at Unity ever since. I'm open to whatever the next vision will be.

Can't see the trees for the forest.

Last Saturday's Daily Word was Vision. "In my mind's eye, I visualize overcoming a difficult situation and feel relief. I see a goal being reached and feel a sense of joy. I envision positive results and feel as if they have already manifested." That clearly, at least to me, shows that I will (and many of us will) have many visions. The scripture: The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. - Psalm 146:8 made me think of the phrase: can't see the forest for the trees but I think the backwards version fits better.

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Changing the subject to Unity's 25th Anniversary Dinner. I wrote about "Golden Keying" the dinner in a previous post too. When I let go of it, people appeared in the days ahead who made a difference in how that dinner went. First and foremost, Kathie Shannon came to Unity on Thursday afternoon and we setup the room so we knew for sure we had enough places for the 39 people signed up. We talked tablecloths and menu both then and on Friday on the phone too.

I was too focused on "me." I was out of my element. I'm not a dinner planner. I appreciated very much the blessing on Saturday at the dinner. I was so flustered I didn't quickly acknowledge all the other people who helped make that evening such a success.

Now I will do that. I'm so very grateful. Thank you Unity Board of Trustees members: Dan Cavanaugh (who also donated the tossed salad), Pat Frain and Ann Anderson along with Patricia Springwell who served the dinner; and Karen Carroll who was our wine bar server and seller of 50/50 raffle tickets. Some were in black and white though Ann gets special mention as she was in cream and navy. Patricia and Jean McBride helped set the tables with cloths and utensils. Thank you to Sarah Doyle and Judy Naturale for their home made desserts so we had both regular and gluten-free choices.

Dave Stoker (left) with Singer/Songwriter Greg Tamblyn

Thank you Rev T for opening us with a blessing. Thank you to Katherine Ballantyne and Butch Sorge who hosted Greg Tamblyn in their home and who provided the flower arrangements for the tables. Thank you to Dave Stoker who cleared the stage and managed the sound check with Greg. Thanks to Bob and Kerry who came to dinner and concert and stayed to breakdown the room and set it back up for the Sunday service. It showed the camaraderie of our Unity family that a fair number of you stayed so the breakdown and setup were done in record time. Thank you for Dave Moran who couldn't join us Saturday night but did some of the sanctuary setup and kitchen cleanup on Sunday morning.

Table centerpiece

Thank you to Peg of Flying Avocado, our kitchen renter, for her tasty dinner and her help setting out the buffet. Thank you to my dear co-worker Rebecca Stoker, who listened to me and supported me and who ended the evening taking the tablecloths and napkins home to wash. Thank you, Greg Tamblyn, for a fun and funny evening.

Someone told me that he was so glad that we had planned an event for us all to be together in a relaxed atmosphere especially after we have been doing so much serious and necessary transition work. So my final thank you is to all of you who came to the dinner and talked and laughed and celebrated together. (We missed the rest of you.) As our core values statement says: We are a welcoming, empowering, loving, inspiring spiritual community.

~ JEAN