Solitude Weekend
I did something different this weekend. I went, with a few friends from church, to a monastery to get some alone time with God. First I have to say thanks to Connie for offering to and taking care of Michael so that I was able to do this. It was good! This isn't a new idea, but it's sure been awhile since I've done this. So, 9 of us took a 2 hour drive north, we spent some time talking together and getting to know each other, then we got up early Saturday morning, we got together as a group for some direction from Dan our Pastor on the process of solitude, then spent the day in quiet alone time talking to God, listening to him. We came back together to share what happened.
My time was spent considering some things about God, and considering some things about Michael. I read a book, suggested by Dan, called Adam. Adam is a man born with disabilities that never allowed him to learn to talk and prevented him from doing many things we think of as "normal". Obviously there are many similarities to Michael, but differences also. The thing that got me in this book is the idea that Adam was just fine the way he is - he didn't need to be "healed". Now, I don't know if this is something that God is speaking to me or not, if it is something that God wants me to be more submissive to or not - it is a road that I am starting down though. No, this doesn't mean that I am "settling" or that "I've given up" or as some might say "I've faced reality" 
it simply means that I'm listening to God and submitting myself to him. I think this is a principle we all must learn: We bring our requests to God and leave them there, with emphasis on leaving them there. Maybe leaving them there is really more of what the prayer is all about. He commands that we bring them to him, he also commands our submission to him.
In this thing Michael is doing quite well. For some time Michael has been more content with things than I have been.
Along with the time alone with God, all of us experienced the sight of some ominous windmills. These were huge, everyone has something to say about them.
I'm not sure what the deal is there, is it that they are so white or is it that they are so big? I don't know but it was interesting watching them and interesting hearing the comments that everyone had about them. So thanks to all for the great weekend! Thanks to Jesus Christ for allowing it, for being there with me, thanks to Connie for taking over with Michael - I think he enjoyed that too, and thanks to the group that shared the time and the stories with me.
Kirk