Dear Reader:

Yesterday I was scrolling through some documents…still trying to attempt to clean some out when I came across the title of today’s blog and had forgotten all about this little poem I wrote about the chapel several years ago.

When I got the pictures from Fran Townsend and Evans of their visit there last week a type of homesickness swept over me.

Aren’t there just some places on earth that we sense immediately are on hallow ground? It might not mean the same thing for everyone but when we find our “spot” it certainly means something to us.

Lincoln consecrated and dedicated the battlefield at Gettysburg during his famous address ….stating it was on “Hallowed Ground.”  He could feel the voices there from the departed and he knew he must not fail them with his own words to convey the appreciation that everyone should feel for their ultimate sacrifice on that gray afternoon  in November of 1863.

It was only later that the story came out that Lincoln excused himself before the ceremony and walked off into the woods, alone, to the forest that outlined the battlefield. When an aide sought him (to let him know it was time to go to the platform) he found the President kneeling in prayer.

This story was passed down from generation to generation in the aide’s family until a sculptor, upon hearing it, sculpted the kneeling President and today it is found in the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Every time I visit St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope I, too, feel like I am on hallowed ground. But it is even more tangible than that….I feel like I am coming home again…

The little stream that runs behind the chapel babbles its welcoming sound, the chapel serenely nods and ushers (gently holding my hand)  me back in. And the spirit of Beverly Barutio, the creator and owner of the chapel, seems to smile in relief and joy that I am well enough to return again.

The little chapel in the woods is my refuge from the storms of life. A place of renewal and hope. A place of faith and trust. A place of prevailing peace.

I can feel it calling me again….it always starts with a soft urging that crescendos into a stronger voice letting me know it is time to return and rest my body, soul, and spirit.

I do believe it was a God’s Wink that I “accidentally” came across the little poem again…a reminder that there is a “Balm in Gilead” and a special one in Trust, North Carolina for me.

“A Chapel in the Woods”

(By Becky Dingle)

There is a chapel in the woods

A refuge from the storm

A place that offers love and hope

… When one feels lost and torn.

There is a chapel in the woods

In a little town called Trust

A place that offers solace

When hopes have turned to dust.

There is a chapel in the woods

A promise built for God

A place that heals our heart and soul

… With a gentle spirit’s nod.

There is a chapel in the woods

For you to take a peek

And feel St. Jude’s healing touch

Come find the peace you seek!

………………………..

So until tomorrow…find your place of refuge and remember to return to it periodically to restore your strength and soul.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

* Update on Rutledge…he stayed with his grandparents yesterday and all went well….except trying to keep him stationary is going to be tough!

I have to go see my little boy today and check on him.

Yesterday I had the sniffles…sore throat and faucet nose…but no fever…just want to make sure I don’t have any fever or anything ( I don’t) ….all we need is a sick little boy with a cast on.

I got some blood work done yesterday and then slept and rested until meeting Sherri Houston for a late lunch/early dinner at 4…we finally made a connection….we never got together for Christmas last year…so we were too happy just to spend a little time together and get caught up.

I shared some of the garden with Sherri and then gave her a whimsical chicken to put in her vegetable garden.

And look what Sherri had found for me at Christmas last year  (which I will leave up every day) ….Hope and a Dolphin!  Perfect…so excited!