Are You Plugged In?

It was quite a hectic morning and I was trying to rush out the door for a few appointments – Amazing appointments if I may add. I planned to go and meet a great person who is making me a clerical shirt, have a bowl of soup at the local restaurant, and then meet the principal at the local high school with two teachers to plan a time and date to share my journey of displacement into Canada at the local high school.
I was so proud of myself as I had decided to use the slow cooker to get supper ready in the next six hours while I was running around. So, I got all the ingredients into the slow cooker and ran out the door.
I had a wonderful visit with the person making my shirt as I was having the fitting finalized. Afterwards, I went to do a few errands, had a great visit with the pharmacist of the little town and then went to the local restaurant to have that bowl of soup I had been thinking of. What a great surprise – the owner of the restaurant saw me and he asked if he can join me and visit – “Certainly” was my response. Then he said, “I have delicious olive oil, let me make you some Greek Salad”. Even though I said “No” a few times, it did not stick… He brought me a delicious Greek Salad, but most of all, our visit was amazing. We talked about all the similarities we share instead of concentrating on differences. We had a wonderful visit and then I continued on to the high school.
I went to the principal’s office  and met with three great individuals who want to teach students more than books can teach. They proposed having a day where a few classes will welcome me as a guest speaker, hear a portion of my journey and have the freedom to ask questions, in a safe space. It did not take long for us to come up with April 21 as the day that I will go back to high school; this time to share my story to bring awareness about the refugee crisis and also the fact that being a refugee does not imply that these people are bad. I was once a refugee in Canada and look how I turned out. We all need to open our minds, hearts and arms and extend that universal love with everyone. There is a saying in Armenian, “Lift others and in doing so, you will be lifted up with them”. This is the core of helping those who are displaced and seeking a refuge, a safe space. When we stop and think about it, aren’t we all refugees?
With the sun shining bright and some of the ice melting away, I returned home, after stopping at the church office to see if there are any pressing matters, as my smart phone is not so smart these days and my e-mail is not behaving well, so I thought a quick visit will do. And it did. WE have a wonderful administrator, who does so much in such a little time, every week.
I got home, thinking that my slow cooker has been going on for a few hours and the aroma of the food will be all over the house… My father-in-law greets me at the door and asks, “Did you need the slow cooker to be plugged in?” I answered, “Of course Dad, why?”, he replied, “Because, it was not plugged in.” I could have easily gotten angry at myself or pick the other route and learn a lesson from it… I chose the latter.
Similar to the slow cooker, we need to be plugged in to the Source of Life regularly to carry out our potential. Today, March 3, 2016, has been a great day of plugging in to the Source of Life in different ways. Even in the hectic moments of life, I enjoyed amazing appointments of fitting a new clerical shirt and having a visit with the person making it. The bowl of soup at the restaurant that turned into a visit beyond pastoral care, making a bowl of soup into building bridges from heart to heart; and meeting the high school teachers and the principal to set up a date to speak to the students; have truly demonstrated how being plugged in to God, the community and each other brings out the great potential that we all have to make a difference in this world.
Friends, stay plugged in, make time to be plugged in because it is the core of our lives.
May blessings of Life abound and help you be plugged in to the Source of Life and to the world, so that together we can allow the True Light to Shine beyond our imagination. Thanks be to the Source of Life. Amen.