I've Never Seen A Real Live Nun Before

I have almost finished my first year at Sierra Vista, Arizona. The one comment I have heard the most all year is, "I have never seen a real live nun before!  Are you are real nun?" It surprises me each time when someone comes up to me to ask if I am a real live nun or if someone apologizes for staring at me because-they've never seen a real live nun before.

This happened this past Sunday when I ended up in the emergency department at our local hospital. I cut my finger on a glass vase. The cut was deep and long and I knew it needed stitches. When the nurse called me in to put me into their computer, there was this man, whom I presume was the admitting personnel, kept turning around to look at me. Sometimes he went on the other side of the wall and would lean out of his chair to look at me. When it was time to show the cut and clean it up he walked over by me.

I was finally put in a room to await the doctor. During that long wait on Memorial Day Weekend, the gentleman who kept staring at me came to see me with forms to sign. I asked him, " I feel like I know you. Have I met you before?"  He told me, "No you don't. I apologize for staring at you but I have never seen a real live nun before." He gave me the biggest smile then.

Sometimes we take for granted who we are, or the calling God has given to us. We don't realize how much people observe us or that we witness all the time our vocation. Times like this it affirms my belief that it is good to be sent to new places where Sisters have never been before. It is a risk and an adventure, but yet it gives you a chance to touch other people's lives in ways you would never dream of and many times I know in ways and times one is not aware of. I believe if we stay in one place too long we can be taken for granted or we can work ourselves out of a job by training others to carry on the mission of the church which is what we were sent to do. To me the mission is-"Go and make disciples and then move on to spread the word to others and give them a chance to be part of God's plan."

God's plan was also shown to me in a surprising way on the Feast of the Visitation-May 31st. I stepped outside for my daily early morning walk when WOW -the sun was a red fireball just coming up the horizon. I went back for my camera and as I walked I saw the sun break into the world that morning-it came to visit me. I wondered if Mary, our Blessed Mother saw a beautiful sunrise as she walked that morning to visit her cousin, Elizabeth.

As we are surprised by the comments people make to us, we are also still surprised by the beauty God springs on us when we least expect it. It's like saying -Hey! I am still here painting for you.