It's Time For The Nuts and The Bolts

For those of you that are tapping that foot -- ticking those fingertips against the keyboard thinking out loud, "WHEN is she going to tell me what goes ON in there?," I thought I would get that out of the way. After all, I did promise to let people know what it is like to enter a monastery!
So, I will start with the basics -- like the schedule. I am one to seek the life of a religious, however, I am NOT a person who would fit behind walls and a lifetime of silence. The closer I've come to God, the more I have felt the need to "be quiet" and to serve. The Dwelling Place Monastery is a perfect home for me, as you will see by the schedule - AND - if you are aware of the schedules of other monasteries!
5:45am It's up and at it -- getting ready for Prayers.
6:30am Morning Prayer
7:00am Breakfast
Off to work with the poor for everyone -- down the mountain and out into the world. In my case, I work at the St. James Episcopal church office 4 hours a day, 4 days a week. On the 5th day, I work on the community web site, in the library, take photographs, run errands, and at the Floyd County Animal Shelter.
5:45pm Evening Prayer
6:15pm Supper
9:00pm Compline - silence until morning.
This is Monday through Friday. On Saturday, we continue to work. There are 24 acres to care for, and many buildings that must be kept clean and in repair. We usually work some or most of the day on Saturday with whatever needs to be done on the monastery property. On Sunday, I attend church services, and then - have the rest of the day off.
Inbetween those hours during the week, we share our day's journey with each other, we take walks, we have private prayer. We read, we sew, we knit. We garden, we sit! We almost always have a retreatant, and this means that Christ is at the door! And that means there is someone who needs to be watched over. Everyone who comes to our door is to be served as Christ. And so, although we might come home from work, there is still work to be done.
I am now on the official chore and work list! I think this is a good sign, my dear friends! Figure if I wasn't working out here, they wouldn't bother to make out a list and put my name down. I now cook on Tuesdays (if anyone has any good and SIMPLE vegetarian dishes, please contact me!) for anywhere from 10-15 people, and do dishes on Thursday and and Friday nights. I tend the flower garden at St. Joseph's. How kind of them to assign this plot to me, knowing that my back can not take a lot of bending; it is a very small area. I must also keep St. Joseph's House clean and neat for retreatants. Since this place has a special place in my heart (the first place I stayed as a retreatant four years ago) it is an honor to keep it nice and as pleasant for others that are visiting. I also live there!
And then - very close to my heart is my new OFFICIAL POSITION -- Animal Behavior Specialist! What a title! The Prioress came up with that one. Yes, I am in charge of training the dogs to a few new habits around the monastery. There are three of them, all three are different in personality and needs. I love them. It makes my job very easy. It makes this job pure joy.
And so, there's the nuts and bolts. Of course, there is a lot more. The prayers mean we read the psalms through every 5 weeks. We keep the Daily Office. It has become my anchor. My day would not be complete without coming together to pray.

What's It All About....Alfie?

I have no idea. The only thing I know after taking a 10 week inventory, is that this is truly a process of loss and gain, dying and learning to live anew. How do you put that down on paper, or chit chat about that over afternoon tea?
My heart is filled in happiness - but more importantly, when those moments when it is not, I know deeply, that it is ok. This is a safe place. God is here, where no other place is for ME. Of course - God is everywhere in everything. I have always known that, and know that. However, for me, it does not mean I can see or hear God. Those glimpses from the side, those whispers just caught -- are not where I came from; not very often. At least not as easily gained. And I felt alone in the middle of the crowd. There was a stranger in the midst of the laughter. Not to be confused with a sad lonely stranger, but a stranger I was. Have always been. I love people. I enjoy people. I laugh - inside and out. But how can you feel truly at home when there is another world that can not be shared on any level with anyone? That is why I left everything. It was now or not to be. Was I going to see if I was brave enough to leave conformity (where I'd failed, but was at least liked and found to be entertaining most of the time), or would I do what I had done all of my life - over half a century and follow along; attempting to be like everyone else
I left a life behind in search of another. That is what I got. And, as I continue to discover the dying and living it takes to embrace it, I am.... finally discovering what God made.