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Gently now…
So, I’m giving myself permission to move slowly, to be where I am, and to let go of the need to have it all figured out. I’m resisting the urge to find a book, diet, organizational method, or financial plan that will help me whip my life back into shape and move on. Instead, I am leaning into solitude, rest, and time to create the environment where true healing and restoration can occur.
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Visitation…
I hadn’t thought about the power and simplicity of pastoral visitation in years. Until this week. Until Pastor Bariloni called to say he wondered if he could come and spend some time with us.
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Holding our own…
Suddenly, all of the daily needs of my family and life seem smaller. I think in some ways we are both numb and a bit in shock. Today, we are going to work on wedding projects and keep moving forward. Tomorrow, we will do the same.
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Stop pouring…
I seem to have been built with a twisted core of both natural generosity and a deep need to be needed. There doesn’t seem to be a way to untangle these things, so I just go with it. I find it hard for to say no, to let people down, or to let needs go unattended.
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How are you? Really….
Nothing really changed. Our lives moved on after a brief moment, caught up in the next conversations, the to-do list, the hustle of life. Neither of us walked away with new answers to life’s challenges or great spiritual insight. But the simplicity and honesty of that interaction lingers in my heart.
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A good funeral…
It is good for me to remember that living and dying are not mutually exclusive. Inevitably, dying is a part of life. It is good for my heart to recognize that time rolls forward, and long days are not a promise but a gift.
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Be anxious for nothing…
I’ve been thinking about how my life would look different if the engine of my life was love rather than anxiety and worry.
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When the road turns dark…
They share a legacy of hope even in the midst of the shattering. Their faith doesn’t make the road less scary, or treacherous. Death and loss loom here as they do for anyone.
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Grace whispers…
I am not yet the woman I long to be. Instead, I am learning to appreciate the woman I am. The right now in the middle of the mess woman.
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Annual meetings…
This process matters as well. The leadership may recommend, but the whole church membership must agree. We don’t always.