A New Beginning

Having been retired for all of 3 weeks now. I am beginning to emerge from the boxes and am starting to feel the freedom of each day. The desire to write and create is strong. Each cool night brings more color in the leaves around me. I sat down this week to write some thank you notes to friends in Indiana. I decided to create a card and of course one thing led to many others. Here is a picture of the card I created.

And here is the poem that I put inside each one:

Red Dress

Wondering when it would happen,

I asked. The answers from others

could not satisfy my longing.

Did they want to know?

I waited, the squirrels ran and gathered;

the sun pierced my skin.

Late into the season of harvest

I slept. In the darkness of night

I felt a kiss like ice and fire.

My lover had come, bringing a scarlet dress.

The Tanager hiding in the oak desired me.

I knew; it was time to slip my moorings.

The breath of the One took me.

I twirled. In the sun I glittered as

I sailed in the dance.

Martha Honaker

October 2010

Today, I have joined much of the world in watching the rescue of the 33 miners in Chile. As they showed the reaction of the first miner's rescue in the local village, one of the men was shouting"Gracias, El Senor" Thank you God. It brought back short-term mission trips to work in an orphanage in Guatemala in 1986. The children there, in spite of their circumstances, were always thanking God. It is indeed a day to say gracias to God. We are always our best in the midst of tragedy. It brings us together and tears down boundaries. So today the world comes together in thanksgiving for this incredible rescue.