Contemplating Your Journey

“When your road is a dead end, it’s likely that you’ll find it's only really just a bend, and though others’ roads are different, it doesn’t mean yours is wrong, so pick yourself up again, and just keep trudging on.”

Erin Hanson

I’m a sucker for a good journey metaphor. But perhaps we could add to this one. Maybe we could ask for someone to give us a hand getting up. And once arisen, maybe we could pause and thank the helper. If it feels as if the standing took all you had, look for a bench to sit on and contemplate how far you’ve come before you set out to where you are headed.

Breathe...rest...relax.

A Springtime Prayer

“Deep roots never doubt that spring will come.”

Marty Rubin

Spring is coming! Let’s pray.

Father, as we take a breath today, we thank you that Spring is coming! Early signs are appearing in my yard. My daffodils do not seem to care that it’s been a tough year, they’re just shooting up out of the cold, dark soil like it is their job. And I guess that’s what it is. You gave the lowly daffodil the hard work of ushering in Spring. Thank you for the daffodils!

For those without a sign of Spring to hold onto - grant them a memory of Spring in their heart! We all could use a little encouragement right about now. Thank you for choosing cherry blossoms and dogwoods, crocuses and buttery yellow sun streaming through windows to remind us that you are still at work and things will change.

Amen

Finding Balance

“Balance isn’t fitting everything in. It’s starting with what’s important and letting the rest fall as it will.”

Erica Layne

I do not know why I am so tired and worn out today. I woke up tired. But I got my workout in and my quiet time practiced without slumping into a nap. In a few minutes, I might need a nap and that will be A-OK, but first - the important things. I sat for a while and then went into the kitchen and prepped for dinner. At a minimum, Pete can heat these foods up and we can eat tonight.

Last night I had big plans for today. Cleaning and organizing and writing and reading. Maybe tomorrow.

I am considering how I feel about my day. I am tempted to feel cranky and impatient with the piles of laundry to fold and, to be honest, a bigger pile of dirty laundry to wash. But fortunately, I am considering. And I’ve decided that I’m going to appreciate that I completed what I have done today and thankful that maybe tomorrow I can get a couple more things accomplished.

I’m grateful that balancing is not fitting everything in. I am committed to doing what I can manage. If your day is shaping up full of vim, vigor and vitality I am so happy for you. But if not, I hope you will find one important thing today to attend to - it may be a good nap!

A Quiet Space of Strength

“Never assume that loud is strong and quiet is weak.”

Unknown

My granddaughter needs to get into gymnastics as soon as possible. We are running out of options at Meme’s house for her to express her athletic prowess and dramatic moves. Our TRX, end tables, exercise balls and weight bench have all become places for Norah to practice her moves. When she tried to do a pull up using an end table with a big lamp on it, we had to get LOUD to get her attention. Otherwise, that lamp was going to tumble and her head was probably going to be the thing that broke its fall.

But mostly, loud is not the way God works.

God is often quiet. He is in the song of the bird, the sneaky budding of plants in spring. Did you ever catch a leaf opening? God is quiet in his relentless movement towards justice and mercy for all. He is in the steady murmur of a new father as he rocks his wailing, loud baby to sleep.

God is quiet. God is showing us how to do strong.

Could you find some quiet today in your life? Just a few minutes is better than none.

See if conscious contact with God improves when you move into his quiet space of strength.

A Commitment to Happiness…

“Happiness is not out of reach.”

Krista O’Reilly David-Digue

The pandemic taught me so much about happiness. I discovered that it is not out of reach even if a lot of things that I thought brought me happiness are off limits. The pandemic required a level of paring down that most of us never dreamed would be required.

But in this, I found that happiness was still within reach.

For Pete and I we needed to recalibrate to grab hold of it because our longing for our “old” life was causing us a lot of anxiety. Anxiety was creating health problems and health problems were making us feel as old as our kids seem to believe we are - we were starting to feel our age.

We regrouped. We asked ourselves - what makes us happy that is attainable? We decided to believe that God is for us and with us and in us and that even a pandemic could not keep us from the love of God. We consciously, deliberately, asked ourselves - what do we need to practice that fits our chosen way of seeing?

We turned off the television and limited electronics. We started long daily walks. We found that eating home all the time allowed for better food choices. We gave ourselves permission to do more puzzles and read more books that in no way would improve our mind or body. Funny, mysterious, formulaic fiction. Whatever it took! I started taking online classes that filled me with the joy of learning. I followed both my personal interests and tried to up my ministerial skill sets - believing that one day the world would open back up and there would be plenty of fields in need of harvesting (Luke 10 if you are curious).

And we increased our conscious contact with people who love us. We had to ask ourselves, maybe for the first time in our lives - who loves US? We figured out how to play bridge online with our friends. We walk down the street and talk to our neighbors. We wave at strangers and smile even when we feel like crying because we know everyone needs a little encouragement.

Happiness is not out of reach if we are willing to take it on its terms - not as we would always have it, but where we can get it. The world is starting to open back up but Pete and I have made a promise to ourselves - we are not going to re-enter the world buried under the weight of obligation or duty. We are going to require of ourselves a commitment to happiness, the happiness that we have found in the most unlikely places.