Reflections on the Journey
Finding Courage in a Posture of Rest
The noise of an overflowing to-do list jarred me awake. I was shouldering the weight of too much to do, no clear roadmap for how to proceed, and a fear of not having enough time to do it all. The more aware I became of my burden, the more deeply I felt the potential for failure. It’s no surprise that courage falters as the potential for failure increases. With a mind churning to...
Finding Rest in a Busy Life: Is It Possible?
Finding rest in a busy life seems a contradiction of terms. Rest evokes images of stillness, while a busy life requires endless to-do lists to keep oneself organized. List-making anchors me but can also imprison me.
Suite d’espoir, Spring
I’m learning to taste hunger. I’ve always taken food for granted. Not the taste—I’m a certifiable foodie. Just the question of whether I had access to food or not. Living in a land of plenty, I’ve never known true hunger. Oh, I may grumble from time to time, proclaiming, “I’m starving!” but I’ve always had plenty of options to satisfy any rogue hunger pang. Last year I decided to fast one...
Shadow and Light
When I was a child, it seemed sun-drenched, joy-filled days often stretched out before me like an opera-length strand of exquisite pearls. My family encountered problems and worries like any other family, but my parents were careful to shield my sisters and me from many of the particular details of their adult concerns. In keeping with the simplistic, ego-centric organization so typical of a...
Ancient Words to Help Us Stop Worrying
This past year has offered us plenty to worry about. The threat of COVID-19 has moved in closer as friends and family members have fallen ill, and in some cases lost their lives, to this strange new virus. The pandemic has interrupted our businesses, churches, social activities, and academic life.
Suite d’espoir, Winter 2
We are partakers in the mystery of life, not controllers of it. Extended seasons of waiting can silently erode our hope. Our hearts ache for change—in the world, in a loved one, in ourselves—and yet life remains frozen in the same familiar places. Life doesn’t always give us exactly what we want or long for, but accepting what can’t be changed is the first step to finding a new hope....
