I have arrived safely in Chicago. It is chilly here; I had to dig my scarf and gloves out to put on while waiting for the hotel shuttle. It has been a long day but I have been guided, as directed, by “the kindness in their eyes”. I simply followed the path to which ever face held the eyes of love. And do you know what? No two faces were the same but their eyes told the story of kindness and welcome. There was the tall, clear eyed young woman in black square glasses and wispy blonde hair who helped me find out where to stand for my connecting flight out of Phoenix. It turned out I did not not have the designator on my boarding pass and she just said “Oh I think it is ok if you board with me. I must have walked a mile and didn’t pause for a much needed bathroom break until my gate was in sight. To have a friend in line was a gift.
Then I sat down with a lovely young couple exuding loving kindness. They just couldn’t help it. They were returning from a camping trip in Yosemite to a town (I still can’t remember the name) five hours north of Chicago. She was a teacher (grade school and high school English) and he a pastor of three (!) churches. This fresh faced, scrubbed and shining couple introduced themselves as I sat down. We chatted a bit then lights out and naps for most. Later on I learned of his early life story (his mother was in a car accident and in a coma for three months; this led to him having to go live with his drug addict father which led to he and his brother both being on drugs at a very early age) which led him to God. He was so earnest as he asked if knew God and that an intimate relationship was possible. If he only knew that I had been writing a message of love pouring out into my journal re marriage and self loving only moments before. Yes! I did know of the intimate relationship possible. He gave me a small tract which was quite appealing. After a detailed description of the mad efforts w go to to get into the packaging of everything from cell phones to cd’s to batteries this sentence caught my eye:
Hello Chicago!
“Imagine a world without packaging, a world in which things, people and ideas were presented in the way that they truly were. No pretense. No plastic. What if we could just get what we needed without that exterior plastic casing? This is the problem with religion today–many feel they can’t ge through its layers of packaging.” It goes on to say “The irony is Jesus was so anti-packaging……He came to illuminate the true meaning of religion……What he came to offer is a pure and genuine spirituality, a transcendent yet supremely practical way”. But what mattered to me was the true open kindness in their eyes. I was drawn to them, and perhaps them to me. I wasn’t in the market for any religion but was touched by their true hearts.
That is the real “truth without the packaging”; what is in our hearts. I asked him what was his greatest challenge in accepting the peace and joy of God. He said “I find self sacrifice the hardest part.” I said, “What if there was a way to feel and know the peace and joy of God AND not sacrifice your self?” I offered, “Maybe we are looking at this the wrong way”. He nodded solemnly without comment. It was so lovely to feel quite free from needing to know or judge his religious tenants and just be able to love and appreciate the brief encounter.
It is the love we are after. The kindness in their eyes is what draws us, not the tenents or practices or vegetables or abstinences. It is the kindness. I was stopped by a young man in a red shirt and tie, asking if I had “The Advantage Card”, I thought, well, I have the advantage of hearing the Holy Spirit, is that the same thing I wonder? I said “No, but I don’t think I need one right now. I do appreciate your lovely kind brown eyes though.” He immediately fell out of his salesmans patter and grinned and blushed. He also pointed me in the right direction to exit the laberynth that is O’Hare airport. So did the wry TSA officer standing at the escalator.
Tea & sympathy in my room.
It was just this look of kindness that drew me back across two lanes of arrival gate traffic to the lovely full faced young woman, skin the color of chocolate silk, obviously off duty but still in uniform. I said “I am so sorry to bother you while off duty–” she cut me off with “Oh, I’m never really off duty, I am always wantin’ to help someone”. She went back inside the terminal to point me in the right direction of the Bus & Shuttle Center. You see, my water bottle quietly leaked all over my travel documents and notes of where to go and all the ink was a blurry mess and impossible to read. All I could make out was “Center Door 3” and was in the complete wrong terminal. Another pair of kind eyes beaming a loving heart pointed the way.
Then of course I ran into three other women, from Milwaukee, Boston and Dallas who were attending the same writing conference I am. It was like four points of the compass meeting as pre arranged. Each woman had a different story and costume (electric blue car coat and jet hair for Boston; good jeans, a linen blazer and fabulous fur lined suede shoes for Dallas, and soft white hair, sweater and sensible shoes for Milwaukee. I looked the part of California in my orange leather jacket, jeans, Indonesian scarf and bronze gloves. I fell in love with each of them instantly. None of us had any idea what we had signed ourselves up for but Milwaukee said “I don’t care because I am here to have FUN!” Amen sister.
So here I am, open, inquisitive, happy, and (finally) fed (thank God for room service). I look forward to whatever Holy Spirit has planned even as I ask for new friends, a mentor (or three), guidance, information and as Milwaukee says: F.U.N. (an easy access pass to publication wouldn’t be amiss either;)
