It is Well with my Soul

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

I love that line from the old hymn. I can sing it with conviction even though the other lyrics often make me squirm. I can sing this refrain with such solidarity because it echoes with my heart strings. It resonates more often that not. So, I will tell you what is going well -- though I still don't know how to make bullets.

FRIENDS. This must be first among my list because I am so grateful for the folks that I can now faithfully call friends. There are some that get me lost -- and yet those are the friends for which I would go another 10000 miles. I am mystified by the strange mystery that I can find family in a mere 18 months. Or in the case of one of these friends, in a mere two weeks. I have found a circle and it is growing wider. I celebrate this every day. I honestly don't know how much more thankful I could be.

JUSTICE. I have a bad habit of affirming my conviction and tireless activism to a particular cause. This is why my name has become recognizable when I show up in our State Capital in a mere 18 months. I signed up for another one of these justice-seeking causes recently. I joked with the SP that this is what happens when he gives me his ticket to the Equality Maine dinner. I sign up to fight for marriage equality. And then, I get excited. Really excited as if religion has something to say about these things. Optimism be damned.

CHURCH. Last week, I wrote a newsletter article last week that expressed my glee with how well things are going well with church. I told them I was ready to deck out in red because this is the color we celebrate in -- even though it is liturgically inappropriate. These words were true. There are still things that give me a headache -- namely Youth Ministry. And yet, by grace or divine intervention, something is happening among us. Perhaps the SP is right. I have more to give to these people long term. I wonder sometimes if they need more than I can give. I wonder what lies ahead -- but I love that they are challenging me and igniting me to bigger and better things.

WRITING. I'm taking a class about fiction writing at the local university. I love it. I'm learning and journaling and writing. It's amazing. Why didn't I do this sooner?

MEN. This isn't actually a joy. There aren't any men -- but Little Mary asked. Boatman called again two weeks later. I find this rude and unforgivable -- but I overcame my bias and called him back. It should be no surprise that he has not called back. However, he did quit Match.com. I don't know why he told me this -- but it's true. I also had another date that never materialized. We'll call him Sketchy. I am annoyed at this process. And yet, the echo of my dear friend who went to seminary here lingers: "You'll never meet a man in Maine." Um, perhaps it may be so. This may be one of the reasons that I wonder about a search.

For all of these things -- and probably a few more -- it is well. It is well with my soul.