Web of Interconnectedness

I'm not sure that my heartfelt joy about this post about interconnectedness will come through...but I'm going to try. Please bear with me. 

And for those of you who might not have the patience for my rambling stories...here's a photo of the stewartia tree that is right outside of my kitchen window. The speckled peach and yellow colors of the leaves that were once bright green make my heart sing. 

Under the header of my blog is this quote by Charles de Lint:

I do believe in an everyday sort of magic...the inexplicable connectedness we sometimes experience with places, people, works of art and the like; the eerie appropriateness of moments of synchronicity; the whispered voice, the hidden presence, when we think we're alone. 

Ann B. sent me a copy of an essay from the New York Times yesterday....and I didn't read it until this morning. It was titled Personal History by Melissa Kirsch. The opening line was: The good things in our lives are the result of fantastic webs of interconnected prerequisites. 

Sounds a little like that everyday magic Charles de Lint talked about doesn't it! 

In her essay...Melissa encourages the reader to think of something you are grateful for...it doesn't matter if it's big or small. Then trace the present-day gratitude back through all the causes and conditions that gave rise to it. Thinking through this circuit of prerequisites amplifies the gratitude, and the interdependent factors that helped bring the object into your life.

Yesterday I celebrated this simple little faith card. It's printed on heavyweight paper and its bold red color and classic lowercase font makes it visually appealing. I've hung onto it and displayed it for years on my bulletin board.

I had a feeling it came from Melodee W. from Lexington...and sure enough it did. Melodee emailed me early this morning reminding me of the story of its origin. After I got Melodee's email...I read the article...and there was no stopping where my mind went next.

Here's my web of interconnectedness as I traced my gratitude for this simple faith card back through the events that made it land in my hands again...and find its way into in my joy journal.

• Melodee and her husband purchased a gourmet home cooked meal for 6 or 8 from the Hancock Church Youth Group auction many many years ago. Melodee made word cards for the dinner that I believe were at our place settings that were inspirations for conversation and laughter. It was a fabulous evening with church friends...and oh my...what marbelous meal we had. 
• Melodee would not have had the occasion to make the card if Al and Carol Bukeys...beloved supporters of Hancock Church....had not offered their gourmet dinner for the auction. 
• Before Paul and I bought the condo...we had a little vacation home in South Portland and we offered it up for bid at many Youth Group Auctions over the years. Melodee won the bid on at least a couple of occasions for her knitting group to gather...knit...and explore Portland. Why did she choose us to be part of the dinner? Maybe it was because Paul was the minister...or maybe it's because she felt connected to us because she and her friends enjoyed the opportunity to stay in our home because of the Youth Group Auctions.
• Ann....who sent me the article.....was chair of the search committee that called Paul to be the pastor at Hancock Church. She and Narriman were instrumental in helping us feel welcome and at home in Lexington and the church. If that search committee hadn't taken an interest in Paul (We were in Madison at the time)....we would have never found our way to the church...and that wonderful gourmet dinner.
• Ann happened to send me the Chain of Gratitude article on the very same day that I shared the faith card in my post.
• And because I had been playing with scraps and snippets and glued that snippet belly band into my journal I looked around my studio for something to insert into the little pocket. 
• And there was the faith card on my bulletin board...the perfect size to fit under the band.
  
• And only because Melodee follows the blog did she see the card in yesterday's post and knew immediately that yes...it in fact came from her.  And...she took the time to remind me of where it came from.

Oh what amplified gratitude I feel today because of this wonderful web of interconnectedness.

Thank you Ann...and thank you Melodee. 

And thank you to the faithful Hancock Community...who embraced Paul and me all those years.