An Open Letter of Thanks
Only the Memphis School of Servant Leadership would:
* encourage me to leave the Mission Group (even though they wanted me to stay) because it was best thing for me
* tear up as I told them the time had come for me to venture forth on my own
* lay hands on me to bless my new journey
* tell me they expected me to change the world
* do all of this while spontaneously meeting on the front porch
* compose a Servant Leadership song as we met
* listen respectfully as i compared my journey to that of Reepicheep the mouse:
“My own plans are made.
While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader.
When she fails me,
I paddle east in my coracle.
When she sinks,
I shall swim east
with my four paws.
And when I can swim no longer,
if I have not reached Aslan’s country,
or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract,
I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise
And Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia.”
Reepicheep the mouse, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis
* have formed me in such a way that I follow even where my heart does not lead
* tolerate my inappropriate laughter
* recognize the title to a short story in our talk, and offer it to me
* welcome as an equal member of our group a two-year-old
* identify as my means of leaving a “coracle,” which later I realized appeared in my quote
Thank you, MSSL
peace in creativity, Ellen
c.s. lewis, Christian formation, leave taking, memphis school of servant leadership, mission group, reepicheep
VaOmi24@aol.com
Okay, I sort of misread the lead in on your message. sounded as though they thought it best for you and time to move on, but in re-reading, i see that is not the case. i know they hated to see you go. With as much as you have going on, might be time to pull back a little bit and enjoy your life and the babies. L. M
Ellen Morris Prewitt
You are right the second time: they want what’s best for me even if it means losing me on the Mission Group – it’s a very “other” oriented group. I will stay close and in touch, which is important to me, not just because I believe in what they are doing but because I care for them so.