“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.” ~ Luke 8:39
Greetings,
I am still struggling to believe that 13 weeks have come and gone! I had a wonderful rest, but I am grateful to be back home!
There is so much I am still processing and would like to ask for your patience with me. Sometimes I don’t have words for your questions, because, frankly, I just don’t have the words yet. But they will come. So, if I have shared a story with you half a dozen times, I apologize. I continue to tell it because I have something to learn yet, and by telling it over and over, I will be able to glean that wisdom. In the meantime, you will probably hear a few stories way more times than you want!
As July turned into August, and I was home a few more days than I had been, I started to relax a little, and get nervous about coming back. Not nervous to be here, but nervous because much of my Sabbatical had turned out differently than expected, and things I told you I was planning to do didn’t get done. And at that point, I still didn’t have this big AHA moment about why I was on Sabbatical, and what I was learning.
So I worried about what you would say, and how you would feel if I didn’t come back with something grandiose. Then, the week before I returned, two things happened.
- I read this scripture in the Gospel of Luke: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” That’s it. That’s my job. To tell you what God did for me while I was away. And when I realized that, things started to open up, and I am processing my time—finally! Friends, there is no way that I can tell you everything that God did for me during this time apart on one page. I’m not even sure I know everything God did for me yet! But I do know this: I know that God was in each and every breath I took, and each place I went, and in each person I re-connected with. God never left my side.
- I read this quote: Life is about balance. This has resonated with me to the point that I had to put it on paper, and canvas, and ceramic!
So, I return to you, not with some big new idea, but instead, with many small reminders. Things like:
- God’s timing is always perfect.
- God’s creation is precious—no matter what part of the world you are in.
- God places angels in our midst when we need them most.
- God allows us the space to learn what we need, whether we want to learn it or not!
- God has placed joy in our hearts, and when we find that joy, there is NOTHING better than that!
I could go on and on but think I will wait. Balance. Life is about balance.
~ Always Peace, Pastor Heidi
