In
grad school a writing professor asked each person
grad school a writing professor asked each person
in Wooden Woman’s class why they
wanted to write.
wanted to write.
Turns
out, this was a quiz,
out, this was a quiz,
and
included a write and wrong answer.
included a write and wrong answer.
The
write answer: I enjoy playing with words.
write answer: I enjoy playing with words.
The
wrong answer: I want to say something
wrong answer: I want to say something
(i.e. communicate).
Wooden
Woman said SNORT.
Woman said SNORT.
And
yet, it is true.
yet, it is true.
Love
of words, the play of word meaning,
of words, the play of word meaning,
one
will not become a writer of distinction without it.
will not become a writer of distinction without it.
Wooden
Woman has been thinking about her Favorite Word.
Woman has been thinking about her Favorite Word.
She bets you are wondering
what is your
favorite.
favorite.
No, it’s not a quiz.
Yet
one condition:
one condition:
For
a word to be favorite
a word to be favorite
it has to be true,
favored in all conditions.
Math
people say it like this:
people say it like this:
Let epsilon be greater than zero.
Let epsilon be greater than zero,
is a cue
that what follows will be proven true,
once and for all, beyond any doubt whatsoever.
Words have power like that.
The
math sentence is not Wooden Woman’s Favorite Word.
math sentence is not Wooden Woman’s Favorite Word.
But
her word does something like epsilon.
her word does something like epsilon.
Beauty,
Fear
and Delight,
all invoke this word.
It is as insignificant and complex
as a zero.
The Favorite Word is the essence of understanding,
the
bones of optimism;
bones of optimism;
the
word embeds itself in laughter
word embeds itself in laughter
and black sorrow.
It goes like this:
A woman has decided that prayer
is
not a list.
not a list.
Prayer
is not a visit
is not a visit
to the Ask Me counter.
Nor
standing
standing
at an Order Desk.
Sitting
on the ground of her mind,
on the ground of her mind,
to be alone in the presence of Almighty,
she
closes the door to rushing thoughts.
closes the door to rushing thoughts.
Shhhh, in the quiet
she chooses words from
a basket
a basket
called Giving Honor.
The
woman sifts through the letters
woman sifts through the letters
and
easily finds the I.
easily finds the I.
PRESS
MY
FOREHEAD
TO
THE
GROUND
The words line up in front of her.
So
she does. Literally.
she does. Literally.
Not
because it is her first inclination for honor giving,
because it is her first inclination for honor giving,
she
does so because it is
does so because it is
an act of honor.
What
does one say to God in a position like this?
does one say to God in a position like this?
Wooden
Woman thinks you might try it.
Woman thinks you might try it.
God
speaks to men audibly so seldom.
speaks to men audibly so seldom.
This woman did not hear an audible voice.
What
she heard was a kind of knowing.
she heard was a kind of knowing.
Head to the floor,
everything and nothing before Him,
everything and nothing before Him,
she understood her Father to answer her words with:
PRESS
YOUR HEAD INTO MY PALM.
YOUR HEAD INTO MY PALM.
Ohhh.
*
That’s
all.
all.
That’s
it.
it.
Ohhh.
*
“We make men without
chests
and expect from them virtue and enterprise.
We laugh at honor
and are
shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
shocked to find traitors in our midst.”
–CS Lewis
*
*
it is trusting… just rest in Him
~yes… it is good
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In His palm is written our name.
press your head in my palm…it is a posture of submission…
i dont know that i can have a favorite word…
"…the bones of optimism… embedded in laughter and black sorrow."
Yes, Truth traces this path. Woodem Woman's thoughts are so lyrical, like a spiral-graph tracing the truth.
The last picture almost made me cry.
Face to the palm. Love. This. Is. Love.