Nancy A. Waldron

Nancy Waldron

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Volunteering©

For the past week, I have been volunteering at a church to help set up a huge Rummage Sale.  This is the first time I have volunteered for a larger organization.  In the past, I volunteered for family or friends, small church or work functions, or set up my own yard or garage or moving sales and handled everything myself, or with my deceased husband’s help.

 

This is an amazing experience with Spirit present every moment.  I chose to work in the household area where the kitchen things were.  I know this area intimately.  People bring in donations in boxes, bags, or in their hands and set them outside the church’s events room.  Then others sort through the items and bring them to the appropriate area on a cart.  Those working in the area take them off the cart, set them on the floor or a table.

 

There is a tremendous amount of donated goods from clothes, shoes, children’s toys, fine crystal and china, holiday decorations, jewelry, bedding, table linens, bathroom items, furniture, appliances, sporting goods, books, office items to unusual things.

 

The volunteers start unpacking, sorting, and setting the items on the various tables.  In the household area, there were tables for glasses, cups, plates, knick-knacks, microwaves, toasters, coffee and expresso makers, mixers, and so forth.  It is a lot of work to get things set up just right.  Some of the donated items had to be thrown away as they came broken, too well-used, or not sellable.  Some of the items were so dirty they had to be washed, so the buyer could see what they were getting.

 

The women in household area shared laughs, opinions, memories, and touching moments.  We bonded in a way that will keep us close after the sale is over.  Such beautiful gifts of Spirit to give each other – smiles, praise, advice, humor.

 

We would unpack and put things on a specific table.  Then the next day, they would be moved to a different table to better display them.  Then once they were all displayed on the appropriate tables we would go back and price every item or groups of items.  Appliances were checked to make certain they worked.  If they didn’t they were thrown away.  On Saturday, prices were cut in half to help sell them.

 

Every day at noon, the church made a delicious lunch for the volunteers.  This was a lovely way to get to know each other better.  It warmed my heart to listen to the various men and women talking about the sale, their lives, families, and so forth.  It brought back memories of the church community I had as a child growing up.  Everyone working together and having fun.  I gave a silent thank you to Spirit for encouraging me to volunteer at this church and for the opportunity to make new friends.

 

During the sale on Friday and Saturday, the church volunteers barbequed hot dogs and hamburgers for sale for the public.  Such a fun offering of love for the public.

 

The sale commenced for the church people on Wednesday evening from 6 to 9 pm, for the public on Thursday from 4 to 8 pm, Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, and Saturday from 8 am to 3 pm.  From noon to 3 pm on Saturday is $2 a Bag time where people can put as much as they can get in the bag and the price is $2.  After 3 pm, area nonprofits are invited in to take whatever they want that is left.  If things remain after that, they will be donated to the Salvation Army or Goodwill or wherever else is appropriate.

 

Spirit in action through every step of this Rummage Sale – people releasing things no longer needed, someone getting them for a good price, church members working together in cooperation and love making sure the best was made ready for the community, charities receiving goods to assist yet more people, the church making money to support itself, and church volunteers bonding in work and love.

 

This is the heart of a church home to me, the heart of living the love that I have inside myself to help others, and the church.  It would not make any difference where I volunteered whether at a church, work, in my neighborhood, for family or a friend, an organization, or at a store.  This is Spirit in action expressed with love through me.

 

Reggie did his part while I was volunteering as he napped and protected the house and property.  He is ready to love on me, play with me, and eat lunch or dinner with me when I return.  Spirit in action with my beautiful little dog.  Nancy and Reggie♥

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Spirit in the Shadows©

Spirit was in the shadows every step of my life.  As I look back I can see that all that happened to me was an opportunity for me to move from the shadow to the Light, for me to bring forth all that I came here to be, and to share that with others in a real, simple way.

 

Some believe we plan out our lives before we come into the body.  It felt true to me.  Someone once told me that if I didn’t face things in this life I would be back doing the same things again.  I knew with certainty that I did not want to come back for a repeat.  These things served to strengthen my focus on fully embodying the Divine Spirit I am.

 

The so-called negative experiences (anger, judgment, criticism, betrayal, manipulation, family or friend walking away, not being promoted or getting the pay raise I deserved, and so forth) during my life taught me not to mistreat myself or others, and to sense and keep myself safe from others who would mistreat me.  They also taught me to use them when it was appropriate.  In each situation, I found that by not getting what I wanted, it called forth a desire to change something about myself, my situation, my job, or whatever it was.  Later, I found that every step made me make better choices and receive things I would not have received if I had gotten whatever it was I wanted at the time.  Everything is in Divine Order!

 

When I was young, I coped by never allowing myself to feel the mistreatment until I knew what it was and how to protect myself.  I simply shut it away.  When things got too bad, I would simply go to The Other Side by fainting or becoming ill or going outside to daydream or commune with nature.  When I went to The Other Side, I was always sent back, but I came back calmer and able to go on.  I remember one night I went to bed and wanted to die or kill myself such was my despair.  The next morning, I got up and I was just fine as I have been enfolded in Spirit’s love and guidance while my body slept.  Spirit was with me in the shadows.

 

The shadows led me closer and closer to Spirit until Spirit was no longer in the shadows, but was in the Light, the Pure Divine Light of Love.  Each moment of each day Spirit fills me in all ways and I am content and at peace.  I face each moment and each situation as it comes up.  At the end of each day, I am complete as I have done all that I could in each moment and it was all in Divine Order.

 

This does not mean that things don’t come up that I need to address directly because they do.  I think about it when it comes up, make a decision, then say or do whatever needs to be said or done.  I set boundaries and hold them.  Spirit is with me knowing there are shadows in the human life and that I committed to do my part while they enfold me.  A beautiful merging of human and Spirit.

 

Reggie had shadows as his first two owners didn’t treat him well, feed him right, or see that he was groomed and well-cared for, dumping him out malnourished in an industrial area in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Then Spirit led me to him and he moved into the Light of my great love for him.  He moved into the joy that it gives me to feed him the best food, take him for walks, love on his precious little body, and give him treats and surprises that make him happy.  For us, Spirit shines Light on us every moment of every day and we are so blessed.  Nancy and Reggie♥

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Father’s Day©

My Father crossed over in 1998, so every Father’s Day I remember and celebrate the Father and man he was.  He was a farmer who loved the Earth and all it provided.  He was a big man 6’4″ tall, a big frame and he weighed 220 or so pounds.  He was a gentle man for the most part.  He loved the land and the animals.  My first memories are of living on the farm with chickens, pigs, cattle, and fields of wheat or fresh plowed soil.  Each day was a work day, except Saturday afternoon and evening, and Sunday all day, the Lord’s Day.  When you live on a farm, your family is all there is to interact with and you are very close.  Each person had chores no matter how small we were as we learned to do something useful with our time.

 

My Father’s sister and brother and their families lived up the road from our farm, so there was more family around.  My Father’s parents lived in town about 10 miles from our farm.  There were aunts, uncles, cousins on my Father’s side and more aunts, uncles, and cousins on my Mother’s side, but only one of her brothers was close.  My Father taught me by his actions the value of family and how much they meant to him.

 

Some years later, we moved to Colorado and left the vast comfort of these family connections.  My Father had wanted to live by the mountains since he was a boy and was able to fulfill that dream.  He loved living by the mountains even though it meant he had to drive 165 miles to his farm.  It was especially hard on him physically and in all ways to be separated from us.  We would go out to the farm to stay in the summer to help with the harvest and all that went with that until we were in our teens and had jobs.  He loved having us there to be with him at the end of the day.  He was lonely without us.

 

I was the closest to him as I didn’t mind getting dirty and would go with him whenever I could.  I would help him by handing him tools or doing whatever he asked.  I loved being outside.  I was not fond of being cooped up in the house and doing all of the work that was required to feed harvest hands, wash clothes on a wash board, and so forth.  We would ride along and he would point out the state of the various fields, whether they needed to be gone over to cut down some weeds, whether it was time to plant the wheat, whether he needed to get someone on the bind weed (he had a thing about bind weed), and whether it was time to call the harvesters.  He taught me to read the land and crops and love being outside.

 

He taught me to read the weather by the clouds, the smells in the air, the wind velocity, and by the birds and animals’ behavior.  He told me about the people who lived on the farms we would drive by.  He had what I called an “audio memory,” in that he remembered everything about the people, their parents, their background, their children, grandchildren which I considered remarkable.  In his generation he had to rely upon his memory and important information was passed by word of mouth.  His very livelihood depended upon him remembering the teachings of his Father and others about all the things involved in farming and living.  He taught me to listen and hear to what people were saying and feeling at a deeper level.

 

He went on to learn everything he could about new ways of farming and eventually had foreign farmers come to his farm to learn better farming methods.  He also went other countries to show farmers the new methods.  He was a simple man but had such vision where farming was concerned.  He was considered a Master Farmer in his generation.

 

There were seven years when he did not have a crop due to drought and he had to borrow money from the bank for us to live on.  My Mother, older sister and I all had to go to work to help the family make it through this time.  It was very hard on him and my Mother.  He paid every penny he borrowed back to the bank; he did not file bankruptcy or evade his debts in any way.  He was an honorable man with great strength of character.  He taught me to work together to keep the family together during good times and difficult times.  He taught me that love is more valuable than money.  He taught me to be responsible about paying my bills on time, and when I had to borrow money to work until I completely paid back the money I owed.

 

He was a religious man who went to church on Sunday, who helped his fellow farmers and their families when he could, and loved his close and extended family.  After he moved to Colorado, he would write and call his sisters every week and they did the same with him.  He taught me to stay connected with those I love.  He was a deeply loyal man, one who would be there for you.  He prayed at every meal, at bedtime and often.  He thanked “the Good Lord” for all his blessings and those of his family.  He taught me to pray for myself and all those around me.

 

He enjoyed a cocktail once in a while, but he was not a drinker.  He loved the wonderful food my Mother made for him and he was a man who did not leave anything on his plate.  He enjoyed having family and friends over to visit or play cards or just be together.  Mother made sure our home was open to welcome all with warmth, food, drink, and conversation.  Dad treated everyone the same no matter whether they were one of his employees or a high-level official from the Department of Agriculture.  He knew who he was inside himself.  He loved telling stories from years ago with whoever was visiting.  He loved interacting with family and friends, teaching me the value of enjoying everyone no matter their status in life and the simple joy of just being together with people.

 

He always bought Mother a dozed long-stemmed Red Roses for special occasions showing her his love for her.  He was generous with her and us in taking us on trips, buying us cars when the time came we needed them, taking us out to dinner, and bringing us gifts from his trips.  He loved our gifts to him and was appreciative of whatever we got for him.  He was affectionate and gave me hugs often.  He showed me how to give and how to receive love in all ways, not just materially.

 

There are three daughters in our family and each of us felt like we were his favorite.  This is a rare and precious gift to give your children, the feeling of equality of love.  He and I thought the most alike in business matters and later on in life in general.  He was a person I could tell exactly what I thought when I did not like something and he would talk with me about it.  He taught me respect for him and myself, to value my opinion and to stand up for myself.

 

When he got lost within himself, he found his way back through prayer and reading The Bible, and I am guessing talking with family and friends.  He would not have called himself a spiritual man, but I do as his spirit was so all-embracing that it uplifted those with whom he came in contact by his words and actions.

 

He comes to me in Spirit and guides me with his strength, his wisdom, his kindness, his simple ways, his thoughtfulness, and his abiding love for the path I am journeying.  I am so very grateful to have such a wonderful Father.  I send him all my love on Father’s Day and every day as he means the world to me and always will.

 

He loved dogs and cats.  Reggie and he would have had a wonderful time had they met in the physical.  They have a wonderful time in spirit as Reggie connects with him when he goes off in his dream time and at other times.  Nancy and Reggie♥