Ageless Beauty walking gently upon the Narrow Path

She runs, she glides, she rests, she makes the journey her home

Eyes roam in search of hidden truths to hold, to grasp and adorn

In never-ending pursuit of the knowledge that evades the apathetic

A solid foundation rooted in love, she unites her family

Her green touch hails life in the dead garden, now fresh and new

With tasks at hand to nurture, to provide, to advise

She shifts in form to embody the need of the moment

Watch on, watch long, wholehearted devotion you will observe

She has an audience in me, I listen and absorb

May I sit beside you, Seasoned Wisdom, on the narrow path?

What will you share?  What must I know?  What knowledge do I lack?

Speak the words that breathe life in the graveyards of my being

Then, permit the Undeserving to leave you with a wish

Hold no more the woes from seasons Time has now retired

Ageless Beauty, age in grace, grow in love, lie down in peace.

From Tredessa Christine Rhoades, (a very wonderful daughter) in watercolor and ink, on the occasion of my 5oth birthday.  At this point in life, you enjoy being described as ageless and timeless.  *smile…

This morning the opening line of a poem came to me*,one that impacted my thinking way back in the day, probably almost 30 years ago now.  You gotta love Google.  I typed in what I remembered and there it was.  It’s about serving.  It’s about the exuberance of our faith being translated into true love, Jesus-love.  It’s about letting the enthusiastic God-talk line up with the daily walk. It is about serving like Jesus did.  It is who I wanna be when I grow up, even when, especially when, no one else sees…

You know, Lord, how I serve You

With great emotional fervor

In the limelight.

You know how eagerly I speak for You

At women’s groups.

You know how I effervesce when I

Promote a fellowship group.

You know my genuine enthusiasm

With my Bible study group.

 

But how would I react, I wonder

If You pointed to a basin of water

And asked me to wash the calloused feet

Of a bent and wrinkled old woman

Day after day

Month after month

In a room where nobody saw

And nobody knew.

-unknown

It’s time to live the life…Jeanie

*The remembrance of this piece may have been triggered by Confluence’s block party this past Saturday in the City.  Some very busy HF leadership team gave their entire day to doing pedicures for people who could never afford it. They truly washed feet all day long.