I want what I do to matter. Most of us do. We want to believe that the choices that we make and the ways that we define our days make a difference. We all want to believe we are making an impact. We are all doing our own small part to make this world better.
names this well for parents. In her reflection on another essay, she concludes that “it’s okay for us to make mistakes because parenting does matter. Mistakes are opportunities for growth” because every time we fail we have the opportunity to model grace to our children. We get to show them something we rarely offer ourselves. In these early days of Easter, when we are still trying to figure out how to embody the resurrection ourselves, I need some grace because I want everything to matter and it often means I get lost in making meaning. I forget to trust the strength of each stitch. I leap to the big picture without focusing on the tiny, beautiful details.Here are the threads I’m pulling at this month while I try to behold all the wonder and honor this life can hold.
Germany is dark and grey all winter long and sometimes it feels like this season might stretch on forever but the sun is starting to peek out. I even got a sunburn on our recent trip to Croatia where the sun was radiant. Sometimes it is the smallest things like feeling the warmth of heaven’s rays on our face to change our perspective.
My grandmother taught me to love those rays of light that the camera sometimes captures. She was one of those people full of magic and always made me feel like it was God reaching toward us through these radiant beams.
After I opened my calendar to my directees all the way to September when it feels like everything will change because both my children will be in school and I will suddenly have all of this time to myself, I have been trying not to rush ahead and plan. (This is perhaps exhibited in that terribly long sentence that is not not all good grammar. So it is with my feelings.) I am a planner. That’s my way. Still, I am trying to practice being more present to this moment, right here and right now.
I use a lot of what
recently offered in exploring work-life balance. All seven of those strategies are things I try to practice with mixed success (if I’m truly honest). has nudged me to think about granny hobbies which he infers might allow us “to be more present” and now I’m paying more and more attention to what I choose to do with my hands within a given day. And so I wonder, what practices do you use to stay present when your worries and fears overwhelm?If you have no idea how to answer this question, you are not alone and I’m so thankful that
put this truth into her own beautiful words. Read her wisdom here.The part of me that is not so good about staying present is rushing ahead to wonder what will emerge in this new expanse of time. Heidi’s question echoes in my ear. What is it I desire? What am I called to now? It’s a question that a number of my directees are asking in a ton of different ways. We are all trying to find meaning for this moment so that I was overjoyed to find this new resource from the SALT Project featuring my UCC colleague Quinn Caldwell whom I admire so much.
The video is accompanied by two print resources that are free to download for a mini-retreat or half-day retreat. Each retreat is designed to be experienced within a group and focuses on the above short film which can be found here. It’s free to download and though I haven’t done so I’m told that there is a the button below the viewing window to do just that.
After searching for my hairbrush one morning to song, my girls wanted to know more about Larry the Cucumber and his silly songs. This led to a new era of listening to the VeggieTales virtually all the time on Spotify. This remix appeared in our playlist and I’m smitten with its genius.
What are the sacred stitches you are mending right now? When are you overwhelmed by the enormity of the project at hand? How are you reminding yourself what truly matters as the calendar turns to May?
If you are interested in spiritual direction and are interested in a first conversation with me, please reach out or go ahead and book an appointment here. I am currently welcoming new directees and would be delighted to explore the holy threads of this life with you.