The worst kept secret in the city of Nashville over the last month is that Patrick was planning to propose to his girlfriend, Sarah. As I write this (Monday night), Patrick is anxiously pacing around the Toolshed, waiting for time to head to the Midtown Café to set up his proposal night. Of course, by the time I actually post this on the blog, I will have made sure she said yes and have their permission to share the news.
On a Saturday several weeks ago, Patrick mistakenly let it slip that he was on his way to the jewelry store to do some ring shopping. Chasie, being the girl that she is, said, “oh, I’ll go with you!—I mean, if I can…”
After Patrick said she could, he said, “well it will be less weird if Jeff goes too.”
And so we loaded up in Patrick’s Durango to head for Cool Springs. As we were pulling out, Tara happened to pull in, so she jumped in too. Now, let me make it clear that I was not all that interested in which ring Patrick was going to choose. People ask me what the ring looks like, and I always say, it’s round and it’s got a diamond. I did have the time of my life at Shane Co. with their free homemade cookies and bottles of water the lady carried around in a basket. There was also the free coffee machine and the umbrellas that were available to take if it was raining. And Tara, Chasie and I got to know the security guy pretty well in the couple of hours that we were there. He tipped us off to the best kind of cookies and made sure to alert us when fresh ones came out. We were all a little surprised, including Patrick, when he actually bought a ring that day. We went and had a celebration at Bosco’s afterward. That Saturday was a highlight of the year, for sure.
He didn’t know it yet, but Sarah
had let me know in early June that she was going to fly in to surprise Patrick for the Fourth of July, which was the next week from this ring-buying trip. So, we had that excitement on top of what Patrick was doing. The engagement ring was going to be ready on Tuesday at the exact same time that I was going to be picking Sarah up from the airport. I was charged with the task of making sure he didn’t walk into the house with a jewelry store bag, which would “ruin their lives forever” as Tara and Chasie explained to me. Fortunately, Mrs. Hammontree, who also knew that Sarah was coming to Nashville, had encouraged Patrick to leave the ring in the vault for safe keeping. Crisis averted.
What a privilege it was to share in Patrick’s preparation for this big step in his life—a result of some serious vocational discernment. This afternoon, as Patrick finished up his preparations for the big night—a whole gallery of pictures surrounded by rose petals that they would find in their private dining room at the Midtown Café after riding in a chauffeured town car from the airport—the others of us couldn’t help but share in his excitement.
That’s what this year living together has been all about. It has been about the overlapping of individual lives, forming one cohesive unit with bonds strong enough that they can’t be overwhelmed easily. As Annie said in her sermon yesterday, prayers were answered when the four of us somehow fell into place as the NEP volunteers for this year. Patrick and I were interested in several of the same sites—Atlanta, Nashville, and Cincinnati. Chasie was initially interested in going abroad. Tara wanted to go to Tucson. We all became drawn to Nashville for various reasons, but it can only be attributed to the movement of the Spirit that four people could be drawn together who not only shared an interest in service and the pursuit of social justice, but who could share 600 square feet for eleven months without a major conflict! Miracles do indeed still happen.
The four of us, whether we’ve been sitting on our couches in the living room, or going on a road trip together, or going out to eat, or sharing the highs and lows of our days, have found ways to share parts of our lives that will never be the same. Even though I’m sure we’ll talk often to Patrick, and Tara and Chasie will be living about two miles away from me and Brian, it won’t be the same.
I’ll miss bantering with Tara about whatever topic we can come up with. She is such a smart and funny person, and I admire her passion for justice and hospitality toward those who are coming to our country from Latin America. I will miss hearing Chasie’s laugh and talking to her about how our days went. I’ll miss the everyday chance to make up a little song about her or come up with a new nickname for her. I won’t miss sharing a bunk bed with Patrick, but I will certainly miss our spontaneous sing alongs and the way we make fun of the girls together, and saying “PATRICK!?!” when he comes in the door from work, and hearing “JEFF!?!” in response.
The same Spirit that brought us here was the same Spirit that became the love between us, as in Augustine’s description of the Trinity (the lover, the beloved, and the love between them). Community was not always easy. We didn’t always understand one another’s motives, and we didn’t always agree on how things should be done. As Henri Nouwen wrote, “Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other in a gesture of hope.”
In the struggle to create authentic community with one another, we found common ground that gave us strength and truly gave us hope to be able to find the image of God in one another and in the people we have met in service. Patrick somehow found hope with his girlfriend 900 miles away that a future with her was what he wanted. And we all shared in the joy of that discovery.
By the time I’ve gotten around to writing this part, it’s almost 11:00pm and we’re waiting excitedly for Patrick and Sarah to come back here. Our time together as an organized community is over, but the memories we have shared and the common life we have developed will go on. Thanks be to God for the gifts of friendship, love and mutual faith that we have shared in this amazing journey.
On a Saturday several weeks ago, Patrick mistakenly let it slip that he was on his way to the jewelry store to do some ring shopping. Chasie, being the girl that she is, said, “oh, I’ll go with you!—I mean, if I can…”
After Patrick said she could, he said, “well it will be less weird if Jeff goes too.”
And so we loaded up in Patrick’s Durango to head for Cool Springs. As we were pulling out, Tara happened to pull in, so she jumped in too. Now, let me make it clear that I was not all that interested in which ring Patrick was going to choose. People ask me what the ring looks like, and I always say, it’s round and it’s got a diamond. I did have the time of my life at Shane Co. with their free homemade cookies and bottles of water the lady carried around in a basket. There was also the free coffee machine and the umbrellas that were available to take if it was raining. And Tara, Chasie and I got to know the security guy pretty well in the couple of hours that we were there. He tipped us off to the best kind of cookies and made sure to alert us when fresh ones came out. We were all a little surprised, including Patrick, when he actually bought a ring that day. We went and had a celebration at Bosco’s afterward. That Saturday was a highlight of the year, for sure.
He didn’t know it yet, but Sarah
had let me know in early June that she was going to fly in to surprise Patrick for the Fourth of July, which was the next week from this ring-buying trip. So, we had that excitement on top of what Patrick was doing. The engagement ring was going to be ready on Tuesday at the exact same time that I was going to be picking Sarah up from the airport. I was charged with the task of making sure he didn’t walk into the house with a jewelry store bag, which would “ruin their lives forever” as Tara and Chasie explained to me. Fortunately, Mrs. Hammontree, who also knew that Sarah was coming to Nashville, had encouraged Patrick to leave the ring in the vault for safe keeping. Crisis averted.What a privilege it was to share in Patrick’s preparation for this big step in his life—a result of some serious vocational discernment. This afternoon, as Patrick finished up his preparations for the big night—a whole gallery of pictures surrounded by rose petals that they would find in their private dining room at the Midtown Café after riding in a chauffeured town car from the airport—the others of us couldn’t help but share in his excitement.
That’s what this year living together has been all about. It has been about the overlapping of individual lives, forming one cohesive unit with bonds strong enough that they can’t be overwhelmed easily. As Annie said in her sermon yesterday, prayers were answered when the four of us somehow fell into place as the NEP volunteers for this year. Patrick and I were interested in several of the same sites—Atlanta, Nashville, and Cincinnati. Chasie was initially interested in going abroad. Tara wanted to go to Tucson. We all became drawn to Nashville for various reasons, but it can only be attributed to the movement of the Spirit that four people could be drawn together who not only shared an interest in service and the pursuit of social justice, but who could share 600 square feet for eleven months without a major conflict! Miracles do indeed still happen.
The four of us, whether we’ve been sitting on our couches in the living room, or going on a road trip together, or going out to eat, or sharing the highs and lows of our days, have found ways to share parts of our lives that will never be the same. Even though I’m sure we’ll talk often to Patrick, and Tara and Chasie will be living about two miles away from me and Brian, it won’t be the same.
I’ll miss bantering with Tara about whatever topic we can come up with. She is such a smart and funny person, and I admire her passion for justice and hospitality toward those who are coming to our country from Latin America. I will miss hearing Chasie’s laugh and talking to her about how our days went. I’ll miss the everyday chance to make up a little song about her or come up with a new nickname for her. I won’t miss sharing a bunk bed with Patrick, but I will certainly miss our spontaneous sing alongs and the way we make fun of the girls together, and saying “PATRICK!?!” when he comes in the door from work, and hearing “JEFF!?!” in response.
The same Spirit that brought us here was the same Spirit that became the love between us, as in Augustine’s description of the Trinity (the lover, the beloved, and the love between them). Community was not always easy. We didn’t always understand one another’s motives, and we didn’t always agree on how things should be done. As Henri Nouwen wrote, “Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other in a gesture of hope.”
In the struggle to create authentic community with one another, we found common ground that gave us strength and truly gave us hope to be able to find the image of God in one another and in the people we have met in service. Patrick somehow found hope with his girlfriend 900 miles away that a future with her was what he wanted. And we all shared in the joy of that discovery.
By the time I’ve gotten around to writing this part, it’s almost 11:00pm and we’re waiting excitedly for Patrick and Sarah to come back here. Our time together as an organized community is over, but the memories we have shared and the common life we have developed will go on. Thanks be to God for the gifts of friendship, love and mutual faith that we have shared in this amazing journey.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It’s now Tuesday night. We’re officially YAVs for just about an hour more. Patrick and Sarah are talking on their phones sharing their news with friends from Texas. Tara and Chasie are getting things moved into their new townhouse, and I’m getting a few things together before I do the bulk of my packing tomorrow morning. We’ll all spend our last night together here tonight. Since my apartment won’t be available until the 3rd, I’ll be leaving most of my things here until the 8th when I come back to Nashville.
So what’s up with this blog now that the year’s over?
People have been asking me whether or not I’ll continue this blog past the YAV experience. I will not. This blog has been the way that I have communicated this particular experience with people from home and around the church and community. There will probably be three more posts: one probably tomorrow wrapping up my first year with the Campus for Human Development, one following the re-entry retreat at Ghost Ranch, and then a concluding reflection on the experience of this year. Starting a blog for the Campus community is something that will likely be a part of my new responsibilities there, so I’ll keep you posted on that.
NASHVILLE EPIPHANY PROJECT 2006-07
PATRICK HAMMONTREE, CHASIE WALLIS, TARA LENTZ, JEFF MOLES
3 comments:
Jeff,
Thank you for allowing us to follow your journey this past year. You have made us laugh, cry, and say, "I didn't know that about Jeff."
Best of luck on this same/new adventure. May your living w/Brian be as adventurous as with your 3 roomies this past year.
Warmly,
Kenna
What a way to end the year. Thanks for sharing all of your thoughts and ideas, the good and the bad, the funny and the ones that brought tears. And...the pictures!
You look like a complete woman in that last picture. See you tomorrow, Roomie.
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