Matters of the Heart

"Matters of the heart are the heart of the matter."

The words of yesterday still resonated with me - along with Pastor Marco's Aaronic blessing and the gentle strains of the acoustic guitar played by one of his congregants - as I sat near the wood stove in the chapel. I listened to the rain echo insistently against its blue tarp roof, now and then feeling a splash or rainwater on my face or leg. A pan of donated fried chicken, which Dave had set atop the stove, was warming and starting to crackle, and it smelled wonderful. A few residents lingered, either to enjoy their hot meal or just seeking a dry place to sit or socialize. We mused about what the weather would be like for the remainder of the week.

Lady Mieu Mieu, the little gray cat, curled up in the corner closest to the stove. Observing her, and feeling equally at home in those surroundings, I was awash in a deep sense of serenity.

The other emotions are worth writing about too, but serenity stands at the forefront - mostly to stand in the doorway and welcome the rest of the spectrum into my soul. Which, in less than forty-eight hours, has been profoundly and unequivocally altered.

To be continued...preferably after a night of sleep.