Sacred Visits
by Deborah Basham
Rev. Debra Basham, CHTP, Cht, uses writing and teaching and clinical practice as an integrative ministry of healing and wholeness.
I visited Still Waters for the first time in December 1995.
I have been blessed to be a frequent visitor. It seems only
fitting that I take the opportunity to express some of what
these sacred visits have meant to me for over twelve years
now.
Still Waters is a "space," more than a place.
It is a space designated for one to share time with the
Divine, to seek the peace that passes understanding, and
to experience the great I AM within the exploration of one's
own soul. It is as though the rooms, the books, the food
and the grounds are all an invitation to the Quest, and,
just as when one is walking the labyrinth, there is no way
to be lost. It is just a question of how much time it will
take.
My favorite place to be is parked in the rocker in front
of the glass sliding doors in the Chapel. The big old branches
of that oak tree seem to remind me that I am ever supported
by the arms of God. The sun sparking on the lake below helps
me to remember that I, too, have a light that shines within.
The flowers and the birds and the very soil of Still Waters
seem to bring me back to what really matters.
During this time, my personal journey included some very
rocky roads. Knowing that Still Waters was always there
provided a sense of stability. My visits with Delcy have
meant so much to me. The work that she has done to create
a true spiritual oasis has been seen and valued.
I want to share a story about my husband, John. One winter
day, I invited him to join me for my day at Still Waters.
On the way out, he and I were joking about what a retreat
day was for someone who did seasonal work and had essentially
been laid off for a month or more already. We laughed about
the question, "How does a dog know when it is his day
off?" On the drive home, John said he had figured out
why going to Still Waters was so different. "No guilt,"
was his simple comment.
I would say this has been the constant for me. When I come
to Still Waters, I am greeted by the unfailing grace of
the Divine. I am seen, and known, and treasured. My shortcomings
– my sins of omission and my sins of commission –
are met with that sense of opportunity to honor and learn
from it all. "No guilt."
One day, through a series of events that can only be described
as the hand of God, I was sitting in the Chapel while a
woman with whom I had been painfully estranged for many,
many years was meeting with a couple of others in the library.
I had always felt that someday this woman would be brought
to justice and she would offer me the apology I was owed.
That day, because of this "space" that has been
kept holy, I knew that I needed nothing from this person.
I began to pray for her and for the others and to reap the
benefit of the intention of this sacred space.
Over the years, time and time again, my personality was
brought back into awareness of the grace of God, simply
by being here. I have also, over the years, brought or sent
others to partake of the banquet of grace found at Still
Waters. Each has found the table set and the abundance of
God's love here for them as well. What a difference it means
to me to be able to tell someone who needs to find that
quiet space within his- or herself amidst troubled waters,
there is a place where you can go...
Thank you, thank you, thank you. |
