list (at least) 100 ways that I know there is a loving god/goddess/force operating in my life.

100. all this love that I’m feeling
99. surprise packages
98. whales, and being overwhelmed at seeing them
97. beaches early in the morning
96. arriving safely at the airport
95. things going better than I expected
94. surprise hugs
93. a nice, warm bath/shower
92. the birds singing outside in the morning
91. shooting stars
90. the stars twinkling at night
89. happening upon unexpectedly great movies
88. sunny, breezy days
87. my dog keeping a watchful eye on me
86. knowing that there are people out there who care for me

85. finding new bands/singers to love
84. otros aires
83. hearing Glen Phillips’ voice
82. seeing my dog get that happy face whenever I pet him
81. being cheered on my goals, entries and comments here on 43T
80. overhearing remarks from people around me that suddenly make me laugh
79. cool breezes exactly when I’m feeling hot
78. the sun shining into my bedroom at noon, lighting it up
77. friendly smiles from strangers
76. uni sushi
75. hot tamales!
74. cinnamon imperials!
73. jelly bellies!
72. 100% good days
71. good problems
70. happy accidents
69. having dreams come true
68. when a very long wait is finally over
67. shoes that fit my feet like a glove
66. good movies
65. finding stuff (usually money) in my jeans pocket after sticking my hand in, thinking that it’s empty
64. that good feeling I get after I exercise
63. dreams
62. being inspired by other people
61. oranges
60. finding things shortly before I even anticipate that I need them
59. waking up in the morning in a cheerful mood
58. tulips
57. that surprise perfect cup of coffee
56. other people writing exactly what I feel and/or want to say
55. having a good laugh with a friend or family member
54. watching a movie with my brother
53. my sister popping up on IM at the most unexpected times
52. my mom giving me encouragement even though it’s only through e-mail
51. my dad giving me a hug when I’m down
50. reconnecting with good friends whom I haven’t seen in ages and seeing that our friendship hasn’t changed one bit
49. books that speak to me
48. hearing a song I’ve never heard before that cheers me up
47. moonlight
46. sunshine
45. my dog always knowing when something’s up
44. surprise gifts from my aunt
43. unexpectedly finding the way out
42. things that end badly turning out to be blessings in disguise
41. sudden peace of mind in the midst of total chaos

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [= justice], for they will be filled.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

93. Jesus’ resistance to religious hypocrisy—including mine
94. Jesus’ confrontation of evil with his own death
95. Jesus’ resurrection
96. the earliest Christian believers’ joy & sacrifice
97. being forgiven
98. witnessing the forgiveness of others
99. learning to forgive
100. the Eucharist
101. my baptism
102. witnessing baptisms of my sisters & brothers in the faith

I could go on! But I am happy to have assembled this list; it was a deeply nurturing exercise.

66. bread
67. wine
68. butterflies
69. tacana blossoms in the Chocó jungle
70. eyes
71. cheekbones
72. different textures of hair
73. the structure of languages
74. the fine-tuning of the universe
75. conversations that shine
76. potatoes
77. pumpkins
78. tangerines
79. limes

80. mangos
81. raspberries
82. the fabrics woven by indigenous Guatemalans
83. ocean waves
84. Lake Michigan
85. forests
86. Starved Rock Park
87. rivers

Certain experiences help me become aware of God’s presence, such as . . .

49. singing harmony
50. folk dancing
51. the richness of words, even in speaking of their paucity
52. sleep, which reminds me that I’m a creature (& is such a deep, primal pleasure!)
53. Bach’s B-Minor Mass
54. Bach’s “Sleepers Awake”
55. Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s rendition of “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”
56. the blossom-laden dogwoods & crabapples of this spring
57. the shelter of trees
58. the raw green of spring leaves
59. the voice of Susana Baca
60. the voice of Mercedes Sosa
61. the voice of Lucía Pulido
62. the hands of children
63. paper
64. laughter
65. the miracle of writing, being able to communicate with others, & speak to myself, by making shapes with a pen on paper

40. people who choose nonviolent resistance against unjust structures

41. people who are working hard to turn the tide of global warming

42. people who fight racism & ethnocentrism

43. people who fight poverty

From history:

44. the exodus

45. the Underground Railroad

46. the village of Le Chambon, France, during World War II

47. the Freedom Riders

48. South Africa’s dismantling of apartheid without the long-feared bloodbath

(Photo is of a protest held during the Colombian president’s visit to Washington this past week. It made me cry to see people standing up publicly and dramatically for justice in that much-loved country.)

in my notebook, but I’m not going to inflict all 70+ items on myself & everyone else in a huge unwieldy list, fun though that might be in some ways. Instead I’ll break it up into segments & post them over the next few days.

This set consists of transformations AND centeredness in the lives of people I love.

31. My father’s story, how his conversion in his late teens turned his life completely around.

32. My mother’s example of faith in hardship, especially through years of suffering with rheumatoid arthritis.

33. My mother’s initiative in opening our family’s home, after her children all grew up, to 8-15 Colombian foster children at a time. Over a period of 8 years, my parents & their small staff cared for more than 200 children. Some of them would not have survived without that care. Nearly all of them were placed for adoption, some within Colombia, others by families in North America & Europe.

34. The way G., after years of unhealthy behavior that made his family suffer, turned to faith in Christ & made his way to a much more wholesome lifestyle.

35. The dignity of my friend T. as he fights cancer & faces his mortality.

36. Remembering how J., one hot July morning, climbed onto the leaky roof of a low-income family with a bunch of Christian friends . . . They worked all day, & he doesn’t know exactly how/when it happened, only that by the time he climbed down the ladder that afternoon he had become a Christ-follower.

37. J.’s long faithfulness since that conversion nearly 35 years ago.

38. My children’s eagerness to make a difference in the world.

39. D.’s recovery from depression.

40. people changing their mind for no apparent reason and suddenly supporting or helping me with that I need to do
39. what I once thought was impossible suddenly happening
38. good news out of the blue
37. strength from out of nowhere helping me to go on
36. sadness, because it reminds me that I was created with a heart
35. breathing, because it reminds me that I’m alive and still okay
34. support from unusual sources
33. long, meandering conversations that get to a point I needed to hear for so long
32. surprise projects from the most unexpected sources
31. surprise phone calls
30. friends who love me unconditionally, we’re already siblings
29. friends who pick me up when I’m being hormonally challenged
28. forwarded e-mails that come at the right time
27. that sudden second wind just when you think you’re already done
26. pets who know when you’re feeling bad
25. hugs from the most unexpected people
24. long, interesting conversations with friends
23. free coffee
22. good advice from strangers
21. other people’s understanding

29. Snow. This is not on my list because I love snow & cold weather; I don’t particularly, though snow is quite beautiful & if I lived year round in semitropical weather (e.g., Medellín, Colombia—blissfully pleasant! right, ardilla?) I would want to go north or south to experience it occasionally. Snow is a sign of the Creator’s care, a time when the earth (in certain latitudes) goes to sleep & is restored.

30. Compost. Another natural process of decaying/dying to nurture new life. Compost-produced humus is so darkly beautiful & rich.

In 1999 I survived a very serious car crash. During the weeks of recovery, I found that my inner question was not “Why did that happen to me?” but “Why did I survive?”

Lots of good people die in car wrecks & other accidents. I had no illusion that my survival was some kind of reward for good behavior. Instead I came to the conclusion that I survived because God still had work for me to do. Probably not just one task but a number of them!

One of the many friends who came to visit me during recovery was Reuben, a college student who was a refugee from Liberia. During the early 1990s flare-up of civil war there he had been tortured, but inexplicably a commander came by in the midst of it & told the soldiers to stop. Later Reuben was with a group of folks in a church when it was attacked; he escaped through a window & walked 12 days till he got to a refugee camp in Cote d’Ivoire. He lived there, his life on hold in most ways, for 7 years! Finally clearance came for permanent immigration to the U.S.

Reuben was the person who understood my sense of having survived for a purpose.