Message from Mary: Our Seasons Pause
Fall is finally here. Schools are in session. The air is chilled. We've begun bringing in our patio furniture and changing our thermostat settings. The signs are upon us. And, as our seasons pause, we may also feel a nudge to pause. October may be a good time for a bit of introspection; a time to look back, check your compass settings, and evaluate the need for a course adjustment for next year’s goals. If you feel such a nudge, I encourage you to acknowledge it. Schedule it. Take a few quiet minutes and reflect on where you see yourself in your life. I understand that each of us has our process of introspection or discernment, especially when it relates to our life. That’s as it should be. I’d like to add a couple of suggestions for these inquiries. Debbie Ford’s book, The Right Questions: Ten Essential Questions to Guide You to an Extraordinary Life, published in 2003. I don’t want to spoil your journey, so I will reference only two questions on her list (Google will give you all ten). “Will this choice propel me toward an inspiring future or will it keep me stuck in the past?” “Is this an act of faith or is it an act of fear?
The second suggestion is rather open-ended. Think about a section of lyrics in one of your favorite songs. Chorus or verse, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that it spoke strongly enough for your heart to tag it as a favorite. One of my favs is from a Garth Brooks song, The River, “You know a dream is like a river ever changin’ as it flows. And a dreamer’s just a vessel that must follow where it goes. Trying to learn from what’s behind you and never knowing what’s in store makes each day a constant battle just to stay between the shores.”
In full transparency, I’ll share the questions I use when checking the direction of my path. Am I living my values? Am I treating others as I would like to be treated? How is my health? However, in my role here at St. John’s, I’ve added a couple questions that are helpful to me: Where is my faith? (my faith is in the Lord) and where is my trust? (my trust is in our church community).
