Five Things February & other things the library just taught me

I have to be out of our house for a couple of hours. I am not really a coffee shop worker on account of the ADHD and hermitude, so I took a little zip over to the library. I am not a library person, which is weird to say as a writer. And as someone who grew up living in the library in the summer as a poor kiddo with limited free resources. But alas, we always find our roots or maybe they find us. I was suprised to see so many people here, quietly working. We all use this building and these books for free, it’s warm here. There’s a bathroom that’s a little outdated but it’s fine. Everyone keeps the peace with one another. Except this one lady taking a zoom call in the enclosed room over has volume on 900. I bet she’d turn it town if I asked but I would rather be run over by a car than intervene.

It’s an interesting place to me. There is a homeshool family in the kids section along with many other mothers who will choose other forms of education. There is a woman who is talking about her Jewish synagogue to the employee while a woman (me) reads her assignment about salvation of the world through Jesus.

There is a guy holding a book about new age something and an older man asleep in the chair over, his book sliding ever so slightly out of his hands. There are brown and black and white people at computers and in the little cafe and someone is using the blood pressure checking machine next to the vending machine.

I wish this gentleness on the world. No one is arguing with one another about why the other should be like them. The one where there isn’t blatant corruption of politicians and religious quarreling and such division and hatred. We are sitting in a tax payer/crowd funded establishment that isn’t lining their pockets, but lining the shelves with books. I would assume that the library workers put shelves on the books they certainly don’t align with. But it says something about the mirage of high control systems (non or religious) and how they always implode on themselves because they are coercive.

It’s peaceful here.

I was at an estate sale in OKC because we went to a cheer comp (BEDALZZED MANIA!) and my (adopted) aunts are fanatical about them. We had a little down time so we hit a couple. I was in a shag green carpeted room full of old national geographics and Christmas decor. “I’m sorry, are you Jami Nato?” I thought that was you but couldn’t tell and then I heard your voice. I said, "‘I know that voice!’ So I came to say hi.” I don’t typically get recognized in a tiny, hoarders den ranch house a couple states over while perusing junk I don’t need.

Art imitates life

I think about this when people ask how do you know how to hear God. It’s just like this, when you spend time with someone, you learn their voice. You know the inflection, you know when something only sounds like them or looks like them but isn’t. I once slapped someone’s rear thinking it was my friend and IT WAS NOT MY FRIEND. Once she turned around and saw me, I in horror, profusely apologized. I mean it was funny but also never again!

I wasn’t there, but I still care.

If you spend time with a person, you know how it feels to be around them, you know their face, when they say something, you might follow them to the other room, as if to say, “Is that you?”.

This way, the voice calls. And around this corner, even further this way. And it’s why I am not in church, but I am in a place of peace and I can say, Ah, this is good. The Spirit of the Lord has been working here before I came. I know what peace feels like, I know what come as you are and stay as long as you need feels like. I know what letting people find their way in the section labeled Religion feels like even though I didn't intentionally sit here. I don’t know one section from the other, only that this was a quiet corner. God sets you right where he wants you without your work, isn’t it funny?

God is with you. You aren’t going anywhere he’s not already at. It is only that he is there and we don’t notice him, we don’t hear him. How to change that?

This February, I am encouraging people to:

FIVE THINGS FEBRUARY

1) Fast (give up something that is your comfort. Something you go to instead of sitting with the shepherd). This makes things clear, in my experience.

2) Read through Luke + Acts. Luke Is Jesus’ life and Acts is how the church acted in light of this revelation.

3) Pray. Be quiet. Listen. Awkward at first, then it gets easier.

4) Speak. What are you learning. What is God revealing to you? What is burdensome to you that feels like it will crush you if you don’t say something. This will always get you in trouble, if you start acting like Jesus. Be not afraid. You and I were made just for this moment.

5) Act. This will be different for everyone. I would like people to consider a lenten economic blackout Feb 18- March 18. Starting with canceling Amazon Prime¹. I know, the thought is difficult, but over consumption got us into a bit of a pickle with creating billionaires who control the gov. If enough of us say no, it could be a big deal. At the least, we all need to break ties from hurried, frenetic buying, fast fashion made unethically, etc. Pray about it. There will be a whole newsletter about ideas for this.

I wish FRPSA spelled a cool word lol.

I hope this newsletter helps you in some way,

Jami

PS: quote to think on from my reading in Seminary:

“Psalms describe the enemies of justice as people who trust in their wealth and boast about it. Violence is also a common trait of these individuals (Ps 86), whose lack of understanding makes them comparable to beasts (Ps 49). These are social enemies who have no fear of God or civil laws, and are not likely to be persuaded by reasonable arguments. Some psalms address them just to say that God will destroy them.”

Green, et al. Majority World Theology : Christian Doctrine in Global Context

1. Yes, I love Prof Galloway’s idea on this. It needs to pick up some steam!