Being with...
Published by Ronald Steed,
Mystic Micro-Gospels; small spiritual stories in and around my neighborhood in Southeast CT
I carry my cup of shelter-coffee from the counter to the table and sit down with two men. "Hello" I say "How's it going?" A short response; then silence. It feels uncomfortable... I focus on the coffee. What should I say? Should I ask how they ended up here? My heart tells me no, so I just sit quietly. One of them says; "I had a dream the other night". "Really" I say, relieved at his invitation to listen, " Tell me about it..." His dream story is animated, funny, heartbreaking, and insightful... I listen carefully... smile at the funny parts... furl my brow at the hard points... ask a question after while. "I don't know what it means" he says, but then he starts to make connections; good ones. I do too. I'm not there to solve his problem. I am called to be with him for no reason at all other than as a friend who enjoys his company and his story. I'm not there to save him; he's the one saving me. He is the one with gifts he is eager to share....
