Stumbled upon this little church

and found quietness

It was an unassuming stone building. From afar, I wondered, “Is this abandoned? Should I walk closer to have a look? Is it safe?”

The small sign on the door assured—yes. It’s safe. 

As I entered, hymns were playing and filled the space. 

On my left, there were two ladies in priest robes, speaking softly to each other. They seemed at ease to let me be. Safe. 

Still, unsure of what to do or what not to do, I gingerly stepped to a small table on my right. The various pamphlets read, “Centering prayer”. “Contemplation”. “Lectio divina”. I breathe slowly. The desire to draw close to God arose. 

I stepped deeper into the sanctuary.
And noticed these cards, one each, on the benches. 

This card spoke to me. 

All at once, the messages on the cards came together, gently, one at a time, assuring me that it was okay to be. I thought—“this church is so welcoming!”

That was the day I sat the longest in a church, in solitude, communing with God, not having to do anything or be anyone else’s expectations, mine included. 

I left with a mini prayer shawl that Reverend Anna¹ offered, which later I found out, is a tangible example of God’s arms wrapping around a person in love. A spiritual hug.

A prayer shawl is knitted with prayer for the recipient, even though the person who will receive it is unknown. Mine was knitted by Reverend Anna’s mum’s prayer shawl ministry, mailed from the US—and found its way into my heart. 

Hope you’ve enjoyed the read. See you in my next issue of HopeMail. If you’ve enjoyed it, feel free to share it with a friend.

Take care!
Melinda

✨ Mel’s Art list—If you’re interested in my art, join this mailing list exclusively for early access where I release new, limited release prints when they are ready.

🎨 The #Portospiration Project—I'm currently on a quest to draw everything Porto, until I say stop. The idea is to channel the energy from me being inspired, to the paper; interpreting and expressing the stories and feelings I have in Porto. Follow the project on my Instagram.

1. Santa Susana Church was built to be a place of sanctuary, hospitality, learning, healing, hope, and love, where pilgrims of every kind, believers and seekers, may anchor their Camino journey in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. I’d want to walk or bike the Camino journey one day. By the way, “little church” is just my perspective when comparing Santa Susana to those huge cathedrals. Do go if you are ever in Santiago de Compostela.