Several weeks ago I took a group of folks from my congregation to see the new movie Eat, Pray, Love staring Julia Roberts. When the book of the same title came out several years ago I decided I was definitely avoiding it. It seemed to me to be just another pop religious fluff that would somehow spout that if you travel to Italy, India and Indonesia somehow you'd find God. Here's where I faced a quandary - I have to read the book if a movie is based on it. It's a little rule I have. My kids hate it but ever since I can remember I've tried to hold true to the"rule". Having said that I can also tell you most of the time it means when I leave a movie one of the first comments I make is "Well, the book was better". I know it's sad and I should just learn to live and let live and just enjoy but I don't. So when it was announced that Julia Roberts was going to play the lead in Eat, Pray, Love I was stuck. Now I could have chosen not to watch the movie but I love Julia Roberts and I wanted to see her in it. I waited to a week before it was released here in the US and started the book and it was NOT what I expected. I really liked a lot of it and while I don't agree with all that Elizabeth Gilbert believes or some of the choices she made I think that it's a great book about the struggle many of us have forming a relationship with God in our modern age. So I recommend it.
But this post isn't really about Eat, Pray, Love. It's merely the inspiration that one of my members, Kathie Rush had over the weekend and she is my first guest blogger, for in a moment I will shut my mouth and let you read about her faith experience. Kathie is an occupational therapist and is married and has two kids, one in a freshmen at the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs) and the other a middle schooler. So I'm turning it over to Kathie with my words of thanks to her for sharing her experience.
"During a Boy Scout 10 mile bike ride around Stone Mountain, I got a flat tire at mile 4. While I waited to be rescued, I sat in the yoga position on top of a stone wall near the Grist Mill and meditated. Within a minute, a butterfly landed on my knee! It sat on my knee tickling me with its feet and tasted my sweat for 45 minutes. I kept thinking if you can sit here peacefully, so can I. It was very difficult to stay in one spot and breathe and be at peace. I listened to the water, people talking, and children laughing. I thought about the Julia Roberts new movie, Eat, Pray, Love. The butterfly stayed with me even though people and dogs walked nearby, cars honked their horns, and my body shifted slightly as I waited. As I saw my husband's car pull up, the butterfly flew away. I knew that had to be an angel, or God, or a gift from my long dead grandparents. I thank God for that butterfly and the opportunity to just be."
I hope Kathie's experience invites you to "just be" today or to quote my favorite psalm: "Be still and know that I am God."
Full of grace... just not very graceful,
Pastor Jill
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