Yeast

 

  ”He also asked, ‘What else is the Kingdom of God like? It is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeates ever part of the dough.” Luke 13:29

 

  The Healing Care group was postponed until next week to give the facilitators a chance to meet everyone. It was disappointing but, having run groups, I recognize it’s important to know the lay of the land before starting. My meeting with them happened Tuesday afternoon. I confess to being very nervous in the beginning, not knowing what to expect.

  There are three facilitators to six group members. Intercessory prayer is a huge piece of what they do. They also take turns teaching and leading. Good practices because it changes things up but also spreads the responsibility of leading.

  I had a sense they are trauma informed, meaning they have learned about the devastating impact traumatic events can have on every aspect of our lives. This is a good thing, too.

  During the interview, I was happy to realize there is an element of peer support in this group, too. While faith makes us peers, knowing they have personal understanding of some of the challenges their group members struggle with puts my mind at ease.

  No one gets it like someone who’s been there.

  This is the first faith based healing group I’ve ever been involved with. Secular programs like WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and Pathways to Recovery have been part of my journey already. Because faith is very important to me, I was able to incorporate this into the process.

  WRAP is an amazing program. It’s been adapted for various purposes above and beyond mental health recovery. First responders were the first to adapt it to job specific needs. It teaches some fundamental life skills we all need.

  I was trained to be a WRAP facilitator but have never needed to run a group. The Krasman Centre has a core group of WRAP facilitators who offer it all over York/Simcoe and online. Running an art group is more my speed.

  I’ve missed doing the group but with Covid...

  It will be nice to have it resurrected. Things are still up in the air because of the fire.

  It’s funny, but not in a laughing way, how the word, “fire,” stirs up a bucketful of grief. I guess my resiliency bucket is still rather empty. The thought of the chaos and decision making involved in setting up a temporary location sends waves of anxiety through my body. I am not sure I am ready to return.

  I hadn’t done a painting for this post but an idea just came to mind. Stay tuned.

  The frequency of the posts may fluctuate over the summer. The gardens already need weeding. There’s seeds to be planted, grass to cut, a shed to finish…I am thankful it’s raining today.

  You know something? I don’t think God means for me to feel guilty about taking the time to write or paint instead of taking care of the yard. I don’t think He means for me to feel guilty for taking the time to work in the yard and not write or paint. But it’s there.

  Someone needs to give me a Godly slap upside the head.

  The art and writing have been a full time job over the last few months. I could cut myself some slack. Nobody works 24/7 without taking a break.

  I need to hang onto the excitement that comes when a painting is inspired by God. It is okay there isn’t one a day; that kind of pace would cause terrible burnout. God knows.

  I’ll trust Him to take the lead.

  If I hadn’t been outside yesterday I wouldn’t have witnessed one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen. I am sorry I didn’t film it.

  There was a chipmunk sized hole at the side of the driveway, handy to the bird feeder. I noticed it the other day and figured a chippy made a burrow as close as possible to the free meal restaurant.

  A half inch long bumblebee was working hard to cover up the opening.

  She had put bits of grass in the hole and was shoving dirt over it. Watching a bumblebee work like a bull dozer where grains of sand were mountains of earth was utterly fascinating. She made a furrow about eight inches long where she’d scrambled to find adequate dirt for her purposes. What those purposes are, or why she was doing this is beyond me.

  A grain of sand was a handful for her but she kept at it for a long time. The hole has been completely hidden from sight. The bee is nowhere to be seen. Google has no information about this type of behaviour. I guess it’s not something easily witnessed. It’s tempting to undo her work to see if she does it again but, there’s a reason she covered it and with all bees in such trouble it’s best to leave well enough alone.

  I plan on watching it to see what happens next.

  Anticipation is a wonderful thing.