| Now that summer is here and I’m in the final days of my mini-sabbatical, I’m taking some time to reflect. I’m grateful to have had this opportunity, and I’ve tried to use it as well as I can. I rested a lot. I caught up on my sleep. I worked out, played pickup basketball, celebrated Addie’s high school graduation, spent a day thrifting and spa-ing with the girls, camped and fished a couple days with the boys, wrote reams of notes and drafts for short stories I’d like to publish someday, and I spent a lot time processing my last few years of life and ministry. I’ve had some helpful guides along the way — especially Phyllis and Paula and Chris and Julia and Jo and Floyd — and am grateful to them for their insights and support. The one question I wrestled with quite a bit during these last weeks, with special focus during a one-day silent retreat, was this: “Where is the invitation here?” In other words, where might G-d and your life be inviting you to go in the midst of your circumstances? Where is the draw to your true self? How do you allow the Divine to get past your carefully constructed and maintained protective walls? You may find these questions helpful to ask in the midst of your own unique situation, too. |
Where is the invitation here?
