Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
Sometimes when you see something awesome you just say, “Whoa.” This last weekend I led an event at an Episcopal church on poetry as a form of prayer. It was a significant event for me as well as the other participants. (Thank you, Grace!) Partly it was just so much fun. I fell in love with a whole church. But also something shifted, something awakened in me, something about my calling, my vocation, my life.
So how did I react to that wonderful experience? I got sick. Monday night I was pretty deep in it.
Maybe it was a random virus; maybe it was exhaustion. But maybe, at least in part, it was my body saying, “Whoa.” Sometimes that really means “Whoa.” Stop. Maybe my being sick was my body’s way to keep me from rushing on to the next thing. When we experience something significant (or maybe anything at all) we need time to absorb it, reflect on it, stay in that space, before moving on. Even now I’m moving slow (you didn’t hear from me yesterday, did you?), trying to stay in that reflective place, letting the mystery gestate in me.
Honor and cherish what is given to you. Give yourself permission to take time to grieve, exult or ponder. Don’t rush on. Say, “Whoa.” Give yourself time, even unconsciously, to wonder, to be changed. Don’t worry about the word and all its haste. It will catch up to you when it’s ready.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
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