Spirituality of Buying a Home. Hum....

Six weeks ago, when I made an offer on a house, I asked for April 9 closing and they accepted my offer with the counter-offer to move closing to the last week of March. I was concerned it would cut into my Easter spiritual journey and take away the beauty of this season. It seems to have added to Easter for me. I'm spending less time then hoped for doing spiritual exercises; however, there's just something very spiritual in preparing the home - that symbolizes refuge and hospitality to me.

Jesus was allowing his home (earth suit) to be killed to allow us access to Father - and Jesus said he was going away to prepare a home for us.... and the Bible says it is in Him we live. He is my spiritual home. Yet, he was a carpenter and he has done so much repairing of the ravages of time and abuse - without needing to use his carpenter's hammer. Being able to do that to a building that will house me, has such a pleasant aroma of Jesus. So this may have not been my desired closing date - but it was apparently God's because He had some lessons to teach me.

I have been praying for a life more grounded in simplicity - back to basics. I'll need to get rid of about 1/3 of my stuff for the smaller space and that brings me joy - less to dust and care for and to be distracted by. With e-books, do I really need 1000 books on my shelves?  I'm looking forward to working with nature - and that is already in place and I just need to take over from the previous owner:  septic, well, compost paraphernalia, gardening equipment, lawnmower, beautiful English garden, bird houses, big deck. I am looking forward to sensing God in nature and working with the Earth in my little spot - and praying it helps me expand in new ways spiritually and intellectually. 

With the closing on Tuesday - which actually happened on Wednesday because of some glitches, this week had the propensity for intensity or maybe for insanity. I handled it okay... God's grace was sufficient and the only change I noticed was dreams that woke me and made it difficult to go back to sleep - so my days were tired but my responses to life happening still felt peaceful and maybe a little frustration but not unduly so. I think the Christian prayer disciplines of meditation and contemplation have been very helpful in helping me not respond with drama-mama angst. But I also know that this is a big life event change - taking on a mortgage and home care solo.

I occasionally lay down and take a 20 minute cat nap that refreshes me for the rest of the day. Last night I attended the prayer vigil of Maundy Thursday, drove a friend home after so didn't get to bed until almost 3am. I decided to take a cat nap.  I awoke 6 hours later - I missed Good Friday mass. I did not beat myself up about it but was able to laugh at the timeliness - since the disciples did the same in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked them to stay awake.   What a wonderful glimpse of reality, of recognizing my own human-ness - of seeing my story match the Bible story.

I have tried for about 8 years to take a weekly "day of rest" (sometimes successful and sometimes not).  Today volunteered itself for that special day. To stay in that spiritual restful place and because I have been blessed watching Pope Francis over the past week; therefore, I plan to watch the movie, "We have a Pope" on youtube this evening. I can remember in the movie the pope running away and I imagine he returned with more humility and being in touch with people more; as I don't recall the ending. I sense that about Pope Francis. If so, I wonder how he grew that level of common sense and humility. I'm sure it was from our Lord.  A learned Jesuit with a Franciscan heart. How blessed the Roman Catholic communion is for having him as an earthly leader.