LOOKING FOR THE EXIT SIGNS

I told my sister yesterday that we were in the presence of our teacher.  All teachers are good in many ways as they teach us how not to be.  To search out our own meaningful things in life and to have a faith in all mankind is something we have worked on all of our life.  Some of our teachers do not try to reach out to others for lack of trust and not having received were unable to give equally to all.  I am thankful for the Holy Spirit and guardian angels guiding me on a different journey. How sad it is to see one so judgmental and a victim of their own thoughts.

The photo of the above exit sign I took was at the Opryland Hotel.  We got lost in the corridors trying to get to the Lobby to catch the shuttle and all of a sudden I saw the Lobby and told my husband I was going outside.  We were in the area where my friend and I had coffee and suddenly I knew how to get out.   It was like many of my dreams where I am going up one long hallway and down another of a hospital or some similar place.  Looking for the EXIT but never quite being able to get to the doors.  This thought came to me again yesterday as we wandered the halls of the Doctor's office searching for the EXIT to get us out of there and into the sunshine and fresh air.  What a relief to get outside and taking a deep breath of refreshing air, pausing to talk to a volunteer outside who briefly told me a little of her story. Restoring my faith in others and myself.

REMEMBERING 911

As I took this photo both elevator doors were closed and I didn't see the instant the door opened.  I was taking a picture of the elevators in the Garden Section of the Opryland Hotel where we had been trapped on Sunday Sept 4th, 2011.  We had used these elevators many times from our room on the fourth floor to the lobby floor.  There was construction going on and one elevator of the four available was not being used due the remodeling. 

On Sunday a little before 5:00 pm we got on the elevator to go to the first floor to catch the shuttle for the Gen Jackson Riverboat dinner cruise.  There was a very nice bellman with two empty luggage carts and a young lady who had just gotten off work and was on her way home to her nine year old and her eighteen month old baby.  As we greeted each other and smiled confident we were all going to the first floor.

In an instant the power went out and the elevator slammed to a stop.  There we were in total darkness.
I and the young girl opened our cell phones for light and the bellman was on his phone calling security.
The red emergency phone didn't work at first and now I'm not sure it ever did.  The bellman spoke very calmly to us saying it was probably just a blown transformer.  Of course instantly I smelled a hint of smoke which could have been the cause of the loss of power or my imagination.  Once I calmed my self down by breathing and using a tapping on the ear and chest I had learned at a retreat I relaxed.  As I sat by the young lady she in her broken English told me she was from Egypt and had been in this country for six years and had worked at Opryland for three years.  I thought to myself here she was in a strange country with a three year old when she arrived.  Her English was so broken I couldn't understand what she was trying to tell me about her husband.  I kept thinking over and over about the thousands of people trapped on 911 in the twin towers and many were probably in the elevators to different floors to start their work day when they were trapped and died.  I prayed that we were not in a similar situation but we never know what can happen in an instant.
Suddenly the first floor flashed on for a split second and she said 'I pray Jesus' now I pray more Jesus.
I had my hand on top of hers and when the bellman and the security pushed the door open and we stepped down about eight inches to the second.  She hugged me and couldn't let go and kept saying 'I love you'  as we went to go our separate ways she grabbed me again and we hugged for many seconds.

Needless to say my brain was a little rattled after being trapped for 25 minutes, the longest 25 minutes of my life and I was very thankful to be safe. We never know the instant the door of life will close.

The saying when one door closes another door opens came to my mind when I took the photo of the elevators.
So I pray for all those who lost their lives and all the families forever scarred.  For the survivors still healing from their physical and emotional pain which will last a lifetime.  For all the Fireman and Police and hundreds of others helping to rescue the living, many losing their life in trying to do so.  For all of the brave people as they tried to recover the remains of those who died.  I send prayers, peace and love to all of them wherever they may be  Peace to all.

PEACEFUL SETTINGS



I'm not a victim anymore

"slam the door,

I'll open a window

close my window,

I'll find a crack in the wall,

caulk the opening in the wall,

I'll bust thru the bricks-

because I'm not a victim anymore"

terri st. cloud



When we have been deeply hurt by another person, it is nearly impossible not to have hostile thought, feelings of anger or hatred, and even a desire to take revenge.  All of this often happens spontaneously, without much inner control.  We simply find ourselves brooding about what we are going to say or do as pay back the person who has hurt us.  To choose blessings instead of curses in such a situation asks for an enormous leap of faith.  It calls for a willingness to go beyond all our urges to get even and to choose a life-giving response.

Sometimes this seems impossible.  Still, whenever we move beyond our wounded selves and claim our God-given selves, we give life not just to ourselves but also to the ones who have offended us.

Henri Nouwen

And so I pray that the one who still holds so much anger in her heart will let it go and accept Christ and be able to die gracefully for her own peace and those trying to cope with her impending death.

Forgiveness is a way of life that gradually transforms us from being helpless victims of our circumstances to being powerful and loving co-creators of our reality.    by Robin Casarjian

The light of divine wisdom shines in my thoughts and fills me with understandeing.--Silent Unity

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it more fully in your heart.

                                                     St. Francis of Assise

Being true to myself, I experience harmony and peace.