Week 15 (June 28-July 4)
By Isabel Junco Singletary, Director of Stewardship and Special Communications, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Alumna '69
“The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'” – 1 Kings 19:11-13
The recommended isolation resulting from the pandemic has been a gift for me. Without the pressure of running out the door in the mornings, I have been starting my days more peaceful and present to my place and moment. And like the quote above, as the noise and turmoil of life sit outside my walls, for a few brief moments every day, I feel I can hear the gentle whisper as I pray a rosary and look at nature blooming in my backyard.
As with Elijah, nature can appear to play tricks on me. At this time of year, the circulating waters of the swimming pool are hit by the morning sun at a precise angle. For just a few minutes, the sunlight bounces upwards and the reflecting light settles on a 30-foot areca palm that borders the yard. The light settles on two branches, that by their shape and proximity form a giant heart, moving in the morning breeze. As the waters move rhythmically and steadily, the reflection on the heart shaped leaves resembles a beating heart.
Every morning I feel I hear God whispering to me that His Heart is ever present in the beautiful Earth He gifted us. He is near my own heart, a calming and inspiring presence, every single day.
