FGC Gathering: Re-Entry

Just over three weeks ago, I had a yard sale.  In preparation for my move to Atlanta in August, I sold just about anything I thought I could do without for the next few months.

On the morning of the sale, I realized that I had forgotten to include a large glass vase.  I was busy getting things ready for the sale, so I set the vase on top of a bookshelf in the dining room.

Yard Sale, photo by Alivia B

A few minutes later, when I was in another room, I heard a crash and breaking glass.  I immediately knew what had happened: one of my cats had knocked over the vase and broken it on the floor.  I ran out, locked the cats in another room, and began to pick up the pieces.  Without thinking, I started to scoop up the smaller bits of glass with my bare hands—a stupid idea, which resulted in a small shard of glass imbedding itself in the tip of my right middle finger, where it stayed.

Over the following week, I tried various methods to get the glass sliver out of my finger, to no avail.  It was painful, but invisible, and I could see that it was not infected.  I realized that I just needed to wait for the glass to naturally work its way out of my finger.

After a few days, it no longer hurt, but it was strange to know (and to be able to feel) that there was a small piece of glass in my body.  Just yesterday—three weeks after the sale and when I had nearly forgotten about it—the glass finally started to come to the surface of my fingertip.

Coincidentally (or more likely, not), yesterday was also the day I had set aside for re-entry after returning home from the FGC Gathering.  In my slowed-down, processing state, my healing finger seemed like an apt metaphor for some of the deeper healing that happened for me at the Gathering—healing of deep spiritual wounds that I didn't know I still had.

I feel like I am just starting to understand some of the healing that has taken place.  I know that I will write more about my experiences at the Gathering because I need to report back to my meeting and the Pickett Endowment, but I don't have the words quite yet.

Instead, I am working through my feelings with art and music.  I spent most of meeting yesterday creating this Venn diagram of what happened for me at the Gathering (and what did not).

Venn diagram

I have also been singing and listening to music.  If I were to choose a theme song for my time at the Gathering, it would be Storm Large's "Angels in Gas Stations," which I probably listened to close to 20 times while I was there.

Blessings, Friends.

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*UPDATE 7/15/13*

I did, in fact, have a lot to say about my experiences at the FGC Gathering, once I had a little more time to process.  Here are the posts I wrote about it:

FGC Gathering: Some Thoughts on Privilege

FGC Gathering: Vocal Ministry

Dialogue II

FGC Gathering: Report

Traveling Minute and Endorsements

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