16 Comments
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Cindy Fox's avatar

This is beautiful, Tresta, and inspiring. It makes me want to be more thankful and faithful to this patch of ground that God has given me.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Thank you Cindy. It's so easy to get bogged down with the care of a place and forget the unique blessings of it.

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Faith Newton's avatar

This is beautiful and a positive reimagining of being rooted locally when I long to travel and feel the limitations of being rooted where I am. Thank you.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

It’s a continual struggle I think. We are digging in here even deeper than when I wrote this, and still so much is up in the air! But while we’re here, let’s be rooted in—right? Thanks, Faith. May you find contentment in every place.

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Penny Chamberlin's avatar

Seeing your day to day views through the eyes of people from another place, really makes you more perspective of the environment you see everyday. You are so good at doing that 💕

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Lisa Hensley's avatar

Tresta, this is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Thanks Lisa, I appreciate that.

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Kimberly Knowle - Zeller's avatar

Lovely! I resonate deeply with this. As someone who has walked the Camino (when I was 25 and single) and who now dreams of more intentional pilgrimages but has been tethered to motherhood and our rural community; this helped me remember that many of our days can be a pilgrimage if we only pay attention.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Ah. Tethered to motherhood and a rural community...are we kindred?! How wonderful to have a store of pilgrimage memories during your inn-keeping days, though!

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Robert Turner's avatar

Beautifully written. I felt I was eavesdropping on a warm conversation at your dinner table, smiling gently…

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Tresta Payne's avatar

You're not eavesdropping if you are invited in ; )Thank you Robert.

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Jody L. Collins's avatar

Oh Tresta, I'm so glad you offered this wrap up, capturing the heart of Jonathan's message. In your own beautiful way it's connected to the way you are a host in a physical place, but also gave us a connection to the writing life, although virtual, "Cultivating the kind of world we want to live in."

So many rich takeaways of that time.

Thank you.

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Aimee Guest's avatar

I've always loved Jonathan's ideas about tending our own patch of ground. It's a mindset that really helps as a writer and artist. And I'm very similar with wanting to see the best, do the best, show the best as a host and having to learn that "what is" is often what's needed instead of "what's best". Enjoyed this post today, now back to writing mine!

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Thanks Aimee. I enjoy the patch of internet ground you are tending, so keep it up.

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Naomi Lounsbury's avatar

Thank you for this. This season of life is overwhelming. Prayer needs pile up and everyone's drama drains. So many worthy opportunities. I've been filtering needs through the question: "Is this in my corner?" I like the idea of the innkeeper. It sheds light on what my corner is. Today I will pick a bouquet of roses for my kitchen window sill and stop to work on a puzzle with my long-term, 9-year-old guest.

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Tresta Payne's avatar

Such a good question to ask—there are so many needs and I just don't think God intends for us to carry all the burden of the ones we can't do anything about. The long-term guests require the most ; ) but there are such great benefits.

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