Strings

The last few days have been a roller coaster of sadness and joy, good-bye and hello, as our family has celebrated the life and started mourning the death of a wonderful man. My great uncle moved to his heavenly home and many people had come to support his family during the visitation and funeral. This led to a conversation on how we are all tied together, with threads and strings that are woven into complex patterns throughout our lives.

I started pondering that thought on the drive back home. What would this web of connectivity look like if I could sense it in a tangible way? Yarns that are thick and worn to soft fuzzy textures held next to fine threads, rope-like strands in line with flossy embroidery thread; family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, peers and neighbors are all linked together in these many cords. Stretched over miles of distance and through years of life, the strings are wrapped through my fingers and looped into other peoples’ hands.

Strings may have grown dusty since we have moved them last, but the connection can still be there.  Shake off the business of the moment and refresh the bond. We can stretch strings to the breaking point, leaving them thin and worn, and yet with careful interlacing bonds can be rebuilt. Woven into colorful patterns, these plait the threads together to make relational tapestries that spread out and connect one person with another. New fibers are added throughout life, the cashier at the grocery store that always checks me out in the mornings I go to get bananas and kiwis, or the new people I meet at Bible study.  Adding new connections only increases the depth and complexity of threads. 

Seeing these strings merged into a far-reaching weaving at the death of a loved one was a beautiful reminder of the support and connection we share and yet often forget to communicate or, at times, even notice. I want to encourage you, as I was encouraged, to enjoy and build the strings in your life.  Seek out these connections and nurture them.  It takes time, energy, strength. It is intentional and can certainly lead to tangles. Tie a thread around your connectivity as a reminder that the benefits of our strings are beautifully immeasurable.

Caves and Buffalo – Detail in the Connection

Yesterday was spent touring Wind Cave, the world’s fifth largest explored cave system and home to a very fragile mineral formation called box work.  This particular cave is also home to the creation myth belonging to several Native American tribes.  The cave contains its own ventilation system, and is called Wind Cave appropriately because it is a windy cave.  The first natural entrance that is known to have been used was found because of the windy air moving through and out of the caverns.  Some tribes also believe that this cave was where life came from, both that of buffalo and of people.  The connectedness of the buffalo and the people demonstrates how interdependent the tribe and herd were. 

The ranger tour guide demonstrates the cave at the original entrance.

Boxwork at Wind Cave

Venturing down 300 steps, to wind up 20 stories below the ground in a multi-layered cave formation was a wonderful way to see a different part of the Black Hills.  Formations made by water and limestone have left patterns that reminded me of a coral reef.  Swirls, flakes, lines, fins, and paper thin waffles of mineral deposits are seen at different colors at different levels, they are visible in a carefully constructed lighted path constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  Carefully explored, so as not to break or disturb the formations, the Wind Cave system is still being explored, miles and miles of caves to map below the surface of the Black Hills.

Riding an elevator back out of the cave, the doors open back to bright sunshine.  Above the ground, the prairie dogs continue to bark their warnings, the buffalo to wallow in the bright red mud, and the antelope to munch on the new green grass.  The connectedness of the plants, animals, and geology form an intricate succession of events that make the nature here work in its appropriate sequence, creating sustainability. 

The detail and connectedness of this all struck me in the last large room in the cave tour.  Large slabs of rock on the floor looked as if the architecturally chosen materials used in the construction of the Sphinx had been repurposed here.  Then, I started noticing the smaller details of the boxwork and other crystal like formations.  In the darkness of a cave, I thought of the creator of the cave, the prairie above, and everything in between; it was a great reminder of the details created on purpose and with purpose.  

Plans

   From all over the world, from all over the state, and the community we arrived at a high school. Pulled there by Navy families, businesses, and those who had lived there for their entire lives, we seemed the odd mix. In fact, I think in eighth grade we were called an odd mix. Four years later, amidst caps and gowns and square topped hats, we left our daily community of each other.
   Thirteen years later, I am seeing new connections, friendships that are even stronger than before, and some of the reason why we were put together. Our experiences have pulled us together in ways that I never would have expected. The people who were close then may still be close now, but the friend base has expanded, and the resulting connections are amazing!
   I have witnessed encouragement, idea sharing, excitement, picture sharing, and waiting with great anticipation over a new baby or a new milestone. It’s amazing how the connections have grown, changed, and matured.
   We were an odd mix, and still are; still something I claim as a great way to be recognized. But, we could never have chosen each other. And yet, the combination of that school community exists in such a way as that even today I have seen one friend reach out to another. It’s moved beyond the cliques, the less than graceful teenage moments, to something new and yet familiar. What God knew then, when we were in the halls of the school, I’m getting to see play out now. It’s a wonderful plan!