Shifts

Lately, I’ve not been as faithful with this blogging thing as I had hoped, but with about a month remaining of my Sabbatical season, I am noticing that this time away from my work is starting to bring about shifts that are discernible…

The shift from a sense of urgency generated by attention to many tasks, people and relationships to a sense of peaceful mindfulness to whatever and whomever I happen to be present, at the moment. This has offered special moments with family and friends, many of whom I have not seen in quite some time. This past week, our son Peter was home, and I can’t remember the last time I was able to fully relax and enjoy his company. We’ve been bike riding, and together, we tackled a home improvement project: building a small pad for our gas grill out of paving stones. There was much sweat and digging of dirt involved, and we even discovered buried treasure at the manse. It seems that there was a brick walkway in our backyard at one time. We unearthed about a dozen bricks as we dug out the area where we laid the paving stones. We also found the decayed remains of a tree stump and disintegrating remnants of its root system.

Another shift I’ve noticed has entailed the move from theory to practice. I have long been interested in what makes life healthy and sustainable, over time….for individuals and for our planet. The purchase of my Prius was not simply prompted the impact on my pocketbook from rising gas prices, but by my desire to minimize the ecological impact of my driving habits. Previously, I have blogged about my interest in developing and promoting a food culture that is healthy and sustainable. But reading and writing about it are different from practicing it. I now realize that the changes I have begun to incorporate into my own life have evolved as a result of the breathing space this Sabbatical Season has afforded. It takes both intention and time to move into new ways of living and being. It also involves new learning and trying out what is not already familiar or comfortable....like blogging, for instance?

Soon, I hope to experiment with adding photos to my blog, and by September it is my intention to use "The Spiral Notebook" to share reflections on the Scriptures as well as daily life, as a part of preparing for worship with the congregation. It will be interesting to see what develops, as we follow this new learning curve.

For now, I am grateful for this Sabbatical season. Having cleared the calendar, I am also finding a clarity of mind, a clearing of heart, a cleansing of soul that, I trust, invites the sort of shifts that make authentic leadership, not to mention authentic humanity, possible.


Blessings to all,

Cheryl