God Moves in Mysterious Ways!

The world is big, but it's getting smaller all the time. Or maybe, the world is still big, but the Blogosphere makes it seem smaller.

I went on a mini-retreat this morning and ran into (actually, she invited me) a friend. I don't know whether to call Kalynne a new friend, or an old one! We met about 10 years ago when the Pipster was a baby; a mutual friend introduced us at daily Mass. We must have hit it off because we ended up going, of all places, to the Grand Opening of the Publix a mile from my house! I'm sure we ran into each other off and on, but we were busy with lots of little children and I eventually started going to daily Mass at my home parish instead of the one where me met. So, we fell out of touch and life went on.

Then, about a year ago (?), when I was just dipping my toes into the blogosphere, another blogger, who I think may have been Amy Welborn, linked to one of Kalynne's posts. I went to read it and thought her name was familiar, but I didn't know why since she lives in Alabama. Well, her post cracked me up and I went on to read some of her "Essential Philosopher Mom" posts. All hysterical---you should read them sometime. As I read, I discovered that she went to The University and homeschooled and had lived near Richmond. That must be why her name was so familiar!

So, I emailed her and rudely asked, "Do I know you?" She was kind enough to pursue the line of possible associations. Funnily enough, it was when I mentioned the name of a person who used to live in Richmond and now lives here, that she realized how we met. In fact, she's the one who remembered that we went to the Grand Opening together, not I. I can remember going with someone now, but I would not have been able to tell you who she was!

It was fun to see Kalynne again, today. She's a sweetheart and I'm sorry we didn't spend more time together before she moved away from here. I wish I had a picture of the two of us together, but ya know, those pictures you take of yourself generally turn out looking pretty goofy!

All that is to say that the retreat was wonderful and just what I needed. Even though the talk(s) was on Charity and not Mortification or Humility (2 virtues I could probably use work on), I'm sure I heard what God thought I needed. I "heard" messages related to my marriage, my children and my blogging! Of course, the best parts were to receive the Sacrament of Confession from a wonderful priest who knows when to be gentle and when to be firm, and to receive spiritual nourishment in the form the of Body of Christ.