“I’ve always known God to be the 'God of Surprises'!” the twinkly-eyed 80-year-old woman said after I asked her to tell me about her relationship with God.

“Take you for instance,” she went on, “I woke up in the night a few weeks ago and heard God say, ‘Spiritual direction would be good for you,’ and I said, ‘Yes, Lord, I’m listening, who do you want me to see?’”

She paused then said, “And immediately your face came to mind!  I remembered you and it didn’t even matter to me that you weren’t Catholic!” 

I didn’t know her too well and hadn’t seen her since before the pandemic began.  In fact, I was amazed she even remembered me at all!

“But then you told me you had no openings,” she said incredulously, “So I said, ‘Well, Lord, I’ll trust you anyway.”

Her eyes lit up as she said, “And now here you sit!”

Three days after I told her I had no openings, I wondered what spiritual director would be able to go see her as she no longer was able to drive.  As I thought about who lived close to her, I realized that she lived near the place my daughter took fencing lessons, so I actually did have space in my monthly calendar when I could go see her!
 
We laughed and I said, “God of Surprises for sure!”
 
She told me that while it had been close to a decade since she’d seen a spiritual director, God had always brought the right ones to her at the right time.  “Every single one I have connected with and they have become dear to me,” she reflected.
 
Then I asked her where she grew up (it's not a question I usually ask but I did that day).
 
She leaned forward (as to let me in on a secret), “A little town called, Pick-way, O-hi-o!”

“You grew up in Piqua, Ohio?!” I said laughing, “Not only do I know where that is, but that’s my hometown, too!”

“God of Surprises!” we both exclaimed.

We reminisced about Piqua, the streets we lived on and schools we attended.  I told her that my parents still lived there and also had a tiny cottage up on Lake Loramie.  “Do you know where that is?” I asked her.

“Of course! It’s on State Woot 66 and the reason I say "Woot" is because I had a coach for a teacher who had a speech impediment—” 
I leaped forward in my chair, interrupting her excitedly, “You had Coach Heil!”

“What?!” she exclaimed, “You knew him, too?!”

“I did because he was my Health teacher AND my Drivers’ Ed instructor!  Wow, you had him when he was a young pup in his 20s at Piqua Catholic and I had him when he was in his 60s at Piqua High School!”

“God of Surprises!” we gleefully shouted in unison, now both of us suspecting we were part of a Divine secret.

We sat in silence for a few moments just marveling, shaking our heads.

“I tell you, I would never have guessed in a million years that I would be sitting here in Nashville, Tennessee, talking to you about Piqua, Ohio, and Coach Heil!” I laughed.

“I know it, God of Surprises, I told you, it's always been true!" she responded, "I need to call my sister in Ohio because she is never going to believe this!”
 
Believe it or not, there were even more surprising revelations of connection that she shared with me that first session! 

The hour came to a close and we hugged.  I could tell I had already become dear to her and she had become dear to me.  There was no doubt the Holy Spirit was the true Spiritual Director!

I crawled into my car and couldn't help but cry tears of gratitude all the way back to the fencing club, full of wonder and awe at the God of Surprises.   

As I stepped on the shovel, I couldn't help but smile. 

On Sunday, I joined other members from Wisdom Tree Collective as we partnered with Blessed Earth Tennessee, to plant 12 trees at Jones Brummett Elementary School.  Why? 

Wisdom Tree Collective is a nonprofit that I helped co-found this year (after 3 years of planning!).  My main branch of WTC is its School of Spiritual Direction and our very first cohort of students just started their third month of a 2-year online training program to become fulltime Spiritual Directors or bring a Spiritual Direction lens to their current callings.  

I continue to be amazed by those who are going through the program (from around Middle TN; Joplin, MO; and Tacoma and Seattle, WA)  and the Spiritual Directors who are mentoring them! 

While it's a lot of work this first year, as I am developing both the content and rhythm, to say it's exceeding my expectations would be an understatement.  Already I can tell you that I will whole-heartedly send people to each one of our current students for spiritual direction next year.

Back to the trees...

Part of Wisdom Tree Collective's commitment is to give back to the Earth by honoring our namesake and the ways we have experienced and continue to experience Divine Wisdom through trees.  How have trees been a gift to you?  Do you have any early childhood memories associated with trees?  To read some of ours, go here.

For every person who participates in our training program, classes, or retreats, we will plant a tree in their name.  This year we planted 12 trees—9 for each of the students in the spiritual direction program and 3 on behalf of the 3 founders, the 6 spiritual direction mentors, and the Triune Dance of Love in which we find ourselves!  

And Heather Bennett of Blessed Earth Tennessee, found us the perfect location for our first tree-planting day—a brand new school in the Lebanon Special School District here in Wilson County, TN.  She had no idea how much symbolism there was in planting trees around a new school's playground. 

As we dug the holes and planted the Sycamores, Sweet Gum, Tulip Poplar, Red Maple, White Oaks, Live Oak, and Southern Magnolia, I felt a sense of awe.  Both of us are in our first year.  A new elementary school has been planted in our community and trees have now been planted by the new Wisdom Tree Collective's School of Spiritual Direction. 

Looking up at the playground I smiled as I recalled all the times over the years I have talked about "the playground of God" or "the playground of the Holy Spirit" during classes and in spiritual direction.  What a holy surprise!  Clearly God was joining us in celebration on this crisp and sunny day!

Are you interested in joining me for the 2022 fall cohort?  The Certificate in Spiritual Direction Application can be found here.  And be on the lookout for both online and in-person retreats and classes offered by Wisdom Tree Collective next year!

By the way, if you're in the area, let me know if you drive by Jones Brummett Elementary and see our trees.
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To learn more about Blessed Earth Tennessee, go here.
And for more information about Wisdom Tree Collective, go here. 

Two people in my life are facing a terminal illness.  And here’s what else they have in common: gratitude. 
 
Every time I talk to them, whether a simple conversation or in spiritual direction, I am amazed at the depth of their gratefulness. 

Their faces light up. 

It is like their diagnoses gave them new eyes to see life.  And they are overwhelmed by the beauty right in front of them.  Even more so, they are overwhelmed by the peace of God inside of them.  The windows of their souls reflect it in such delightful ways. 
 
“Every day I wake up so happy!” one exclaimed to me (without a single relationship or situation changing in their life).
 
How is this possible? 
 
Much of it is pure gift.  Grace. 

And some of it, I am sure, is because both have done inner work in the years leading up to this moment. 
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They learned how to listen deeply to God and how to listen deeply to others.  They entered into meditation and mindfulness.  They learned to play and be playful.  They sought out spiritual direction and a precious few others to accompany them along their inner journey. 
 
Now their outer journey reflects what they cultivated within.  Awe.  Humor.  Peace.  Kindness.  Joy.  (Just to name a few)
 
I am honored to be a witness.  They are teaching me a lot.
 
One of their gifts is reflected in the Sufi poet, Rumi's words, “I saw grief drinking a cup of sorrow and said to it, ‘Tastes sweet does it not?’ Grief confessed, ‘You’ve caught me and ruined my business. How can I sell sorrow when you know it’s a blessing?’”
 
If you have no idea how sorrow can be a blessing and if you do not wake up happy, maybe it is time for an inner journey of your own.  There is so much to be grateful for in this life.