Invitation to Poetry: Hidden Rooms | Abbey of the Arts

As already stated, I'm cleaning house on my blog and decided to post a couple of drafts.  This is amazing to find this here, as I just used this poem a few months ago in my online Women on the Threshold retreat, remembering that I'd written it years before, for Christine's poetry party!  How cool is that?!

Invitation to Poetry: Hidden Rooms | Abbey of the Arts: "The hallway is dim. The doors are varied, Though always closed And windowless. The path ends here. But , wait! I see a ledge. There’s a fringe hanging down With a key tied on. I look more closely. Yes! There are strings of light Faintly gleaming from keyholes. The path must not end here. There is a way out of this hall. But like a young wizard seeking to save his friend, I must find the right door. There is only one key. Patiently, I must try, For old keys and locks sometimes “stick.” They must be handled gently. Turned with a firm, but easy hand. And so, I search With hope, With dreams intact. Believing that the next room, Will add to my story. And believing that For many closed doors, God leaves keyholes! –Karla Grauberger 11/07"

Bread and Stones « Back Road Journey

I'm cleaning house as I try to come back to blogging, which I was never really "at" to begin with, but I've uttered a few expressions to the universe, which God saw/sees, and knows my heart.  That said, I found some drafts that I have decided to publish anyway.  This is from nearly six years ago! But I wanted to keep a record of this post from a cyber friend, my response to what I took from it.

Bread and Stones « Back Road Journey: "1st Sunday in Lent at Pine Island Presbyterian Church “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul thirsts for you, O God.” “And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings.” “What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul.” We sang and spoke and prayed of our longing and yearning for God. The imagery is rich and the desire is real. But stones get in our way. We want to skip the hard stuff, we want just the tasty bread and the comfort of God’s abiding care without placing our trust, all of it, in the Holy One. We want the power, the status, and the assurance without the letting go, the complete act of surrender, or the leap of faith that takes us through Good Friday on our way to Easter. Such is the call of faith. Such is the walk of Lent. May the Bread of Life sustain you in these Lenten days. ~Cathleen Posted in Lent, Worship | 4 Comments 4 Responses to “Bread and Stones” on 10e063e0606am07, MaramTue, 06 Mar 2007 04:25:06 +0000c04 21, 2007 at 12:37 am031 Karla MG Cathleen, how rich and deep! Thank you for sharing this reminder that we must carry the stones along the way, for a time, but that the bread is there. It is sustenance and conection! Blessings to you as well in these Lenten days!"

Wow! So much for intending to write more in 2011, then not touching it at all 2012!  My.life.is.craaaaazzzzzzeeeeee.   Cool thing?  God is STILL and always will be... "Bigger Than the Boogie Man!" Amen?  Amen!  Thanks to Veggie Tales (Mike Nawrocki, Phil Vischer & team) for creating a phrase with a song, that has sticking power as a mantra for this mamma, looking to her Ammas & Abbas from ages past AND present for guidance in such a time as this! 2012 held an amazing experience traveled with a group of sisters, "Women on the Threshold," seekers of truth, of divine, of adventures, of holy love. Then, I practiced and worked toward "Birthing the Holy" of Advent with another amazing circle of men and women.  Now, today, our "new" pastor wore an amazing stole with the words "immerse yourself"on her shoulder, followed by beautiful waves and streams of water, with the UCC logo about halfway down.  The retreat I completed five years ago was called "Immersion."  God is still speaking. Am I listening?

The past three years have held drama, suspense, tremendous fear, intensity bordering on insanity, pure joy, love, and hope.  Yes, hope.  We hoped for a savior to be born.  We watched. We waited. We wondered. And we wandered.  We looked for someone to make the crooked paths straight, the rough places smooth.  And He came. But not as we expected. Many missed the event. You see, they thought a king should be born in a palace, to royalty.  How on earth could a manger possibly be a resting space for a king? I mean, the animals were smelly, loud, and probably a little miffed about this commotion in their feed trough. Yes, I know what the Sunday School songs and Christmas carols say; the animals were quiet and curious, and the cows lulled the new king to sleep with their lowing. But...there's always a "but," right?  But, I'm an Iowa farm kid.  I grew up with animals...and they aren't often quiet, and they certainly don't have the best odor, certainly not one to greet a newborn! But, even in that scenario, hope was born.  And it's begging to be born in you, through you.  And to born in and through me too.  What will this year, this time we call "2013 AD," bring for us?  What will we bring for it, to it?  Will something, holy, something profound be born in our lives? What thresholds await? What doors are closed or windows opened?  How will I continue to give birth to something holy?

With the excitement of new birth comes the anticipation of what the future holds. Babies grow. In this short span of three weeks in the church year, our babe, the son of man, has grown from an infant to an adult. Jesus, the man, standing before his dear friend, awaiting the anointing by water. In the cleansing rite,  he hears his father telling him "Son, I'm proud of you, I love you, I am pleased,"  He receives the Holy Spirit, as we're told, descending like a dove.  Hmmm...haven't we seen the dove somewhere before? Another water story, wasn't it?  Oh yeah, Noah is given a gift from the Divine too!  His dove found an olive branch from a tree that was, in a way, baptized. An earth made clean by the power, the mercy, the grace of a loving Creator.  So now, in these next several weeks, we live with Christ, the adult son. We strive to live as he taught, so that "They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love," as expressed in that awesome church camp song from a few decades ago.  And, in a blink of an eye, it will be Ash Wednesday.  But for now, let us live in the hope born in a baby, living now through a man trying to do something different in his world.  He, who calls us to do something different, to be someone different shows us hope in action, love in action.  Let us shine the Christmas star as a light to our world, so often devoid of that light of hope. May the hope we birthed at Christmas, be reborn in us today & tomorrow & the day after that.  For if change is to be found, if peace is to reign, it will come through love...the love God has for us, the love we have for God, and the love we have for each other, our brothers and sisters along the path! Christ's path is leading towards the cross, but for now, let us be disciples kneeling at our teacher's feet, learning, growing, becoming different.  

My prayer in this new year is that, in the midst of "crazyville," as it too often feels, and actually is, that I can allow the hope that I desire to be born through me...sometimes, I think I try to block it, to wrestle in the dark places, throwing myself an internal pity party.  But now is the time to become different. To try new things. To paraphrase from Star Trek, "to boldly go where I've not gone before."  My new frontier seems to be right here, in my kitchen, my house, and more importantly, in my family...the truest of gifts and blessings that so often seem to get taken for granted lives right here, under this roof.  May God's gracious and loving spirit guide you to and through the thresholds that await, and as you go, live in the birthing of Jesus (with skin on, as my pastor says)...each minute of each day of each week of each year...until we are like the One who made us in His/Her image.  May peace be your guide, your comfort, and your center.  Happy New Year!   Namaste.

--Karla