Sabbatical Realizations

I have returned from my six-week sabbatical. I am happy to be home and back to work. Several people have asked me if I had any revelations while I was away. I don’t know that I would call them revelations, rather conscious realizations of things I already knew and needed to be reminded of.

You may be hearing more about one of more of these in my future blogs or Sunday messages, but for now here are the highlights.

Nature has a great deal to teach us if we pay attention.

You don’t need to go in search of yourself. You are where you are. Does the tree ask, “Why am I here?” or “Why am I not an oak instead of a pine?” or “Why do I grow beside the water and not in the middle of the forest? The tree does not question. The tree just is.

We can be like the tree. We can choose to be right where we are without questioning why or how or why?

I have spent a great deal of time and energy trying to figure out who I am, and all the time I am just me wherever I happen to be. I am just me. You are you, right where you are.

While it is helpful at times to step away from the daily routines of life, we can and will know ourselves best as we are willing to pay attention and honor our reactions and responses to everyday stimuli. As we become self-conscious, we can make informed conscious choices.

Being in nature can support us in connecting with God/Source/Life energy, but the sacred does not reside in nature. It is all around us all the time. We simply must stop and notice it. The realization of the sacred lives in us. As Jesus said in the Gospel of Thomas, “the kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, but men do not see it.” Open your eyes. Open your heart!

Sometimes the past is best left there as it can corrupt the present. Be present for what is, rather than focused on what was or on what could have been.

I have heard that deep loss, such as the death of a loved one or serious illness changes people. Not always. We have to be willing and make the effort to change. It does not happen automatically.

Prior to this trip, I had considered whether I could possibly move back to the southeast after retirement. I discovered that the answer is 'NO!' While I am drawn to the verdant natural beauty there, I think that I would not adjust well to the conservatism, both religious and political, I observed and felt there.

I also learned that, while I enjoy my solitude, I have my limits. I think one week to ten days would suffice in the future. 

I am extremely grateful to have had this time for rest, renewal, reflection, and fun. I highly recommend it for everyone. Whether it is six weeks, six days, six hours or six minutes, I encourage everyone to take time to deeply connect with Spirit, self and others. It has the power to change your life.

 

Lessons From The Road

Since being on sabbatical, I have driven many miles. I have traversed highways, freeways, two-lane country roads, and roads that would appear to be no roads at all, but only well-beaten paths through the forest.

I have traveled long, flat sections of highway that seemed to extend beyond the horizon. I have driven winding mountain roads where the next s-curve was only visible as I made the turn.

I have ridden freshly paved highways that made it seem as though I was floating on glass. I have traveled rough gravel roads on which I feared that my fillings might be shaken loose from my teeth.

On my journey, I have witnessed the beauty of the mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, cornfields, and forests. I have also seen the effects of flooding, wildfires, and drought.

Today, as I stop to contemplate my sabbatical journey thus far, I am aware of how all of this is a metaphor for life. Our lives are a journey. At times, we may travel for long stretches of time on a smooth path with no apparent obstacles, potholes, or rough patches. Other times, life can be rough and rocky and can shake and rattle us to our core.

Sometimes, life is a straight and direct path that we can traverse with ease and assurance. Sometimes, it twists and turns in ways that we could never have imagined.

Our journeys can reveal beauty, joy, and love. They can also present us with pain, sorrow, and loss.

As I was driving today, I noticed a sign on the side of the highway. I could not help but notice since it was one of the lighted marquee signs with flashing amber lights. It read “ROUGH ROAD AHEAD.” I laughed out load. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had signs along life’s journey directing us to what lies ahead?” I mean there are all sorts of signs with universally recognized symbols on the road instructing us on what to expect.

There are signs that tell us of a sharp turn ahead. Signs that tell us to slow down. Signs that warn of merging traffic. Signs that tell us to watch out for deer or other animals crossing the road. Signs that tell us of an upcoming intersection. Signs that tell us the road ahead twists and turns. And the list goes on and on. Wouldn’t it be nice, I thought?

It was a fleeting thought. It dawned on me quickly that if we had such signs, that we might miss out on the adventures life offers. We might avoid taking risks, going around those s-curves to see what lies ahead. We might miss out on the beauty, joy, and love that is ours to experience and share. Yes, we might also be able to avoid the pain, sorrow and loss, but life would not be complete without all of it.

If we seek to avoid the pain of loss, we will miss out on the depth of love. If we seek to avoid sorrow, we will never know the fullness of joy. If we avoid the challenging times, we will fail to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the good times.

I am grateful for the signs that help keep me safe as I travel the highways and byways of this awe-inspiring landscape. I am also grateful not to have those directional signs along the journey of life. Not having them requires me, and all of us, to be present in the moment for whatever life brings our way, the good, the bad, and the in-between.

Our opportunity, and at times our challenge, is to see God in all of it, to see everything that we experience along this life journey as just one more step on our path to realizing and embodying our divinity.

On second thought, maybe everything in our lives is a sign that ultimately guides us home, one step at a time, to who and what we truly are. Enjoy the journey!

A Lesson From Birds

During my time at my sabbatical cabin, I have enjoyed sitting on the deck watching the many varieties of birds that frequent the birdfeeder which I have filled several times in the week I have been here. I cannot name them as I know little or nothing about birds. I can, however, marvel at the glorious pallet of color they display – flaming reds, effervescent yellows, vibrant oranges, and radiant blues.

I revel in watching them as they devour the seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. I laugh at their antics as they, at times, appear to argue and battle over their domain. Occasionally, one will alight and sit atop the feeder impatiently awaiting their turn. The larger varieties often aggressively claim their stake and oust the smaller ones who defensively take flight only to return when the coast is clear.

I have also sat in wonder as I observe the flitting about of hummingbirds as they hover around their feeder on the opposite side of the deck. They dart about at speeds I can only imagine are the effects of all the sugar water they ingest. It is like jet fuel for them, I suppose.

One morning, I was out on the deck doing my morning stretching routine when a hummingbird came within a few feet of me and hovered just above my head as if it was trying to decide what I was doing or was attempting to convey a message. I stopped and stared back it for moment and asked outload “What?” It then flew away.

Later, I researched the spiritual significance of hummingbirds and found that they are symbols of joy, lightness, and play.¹ I took that to mean that this little bird was telling me to lighten up, have fun, and embrace more joy in my life. Message received!

Today, as I sat inside listening to and watching the light rain fall, a dove came for a visit. She sat on the deck railing dead center in front of the doorway. She just sat there for the longest time. A happenstance? I don’t think so. As with the hummingbird, I wondered what message this lovely bird might have for me.

Rather than resorting to the internet for information, I simply sat and observed, opening my heart to the energetic connection that we share with all creation. I fully accept that I was assigning meaning to my observations, yet I trust that what I received from this interaction was what I needed in the moment.

This messenger sat there speaking to my heart. This is what it said…

Rest in the peace of what is in the moment. Do not attempt to argue with it or make it something else. It is all good just as it is right now.

Live in the confidence of who you are and all that you are created to be. There is no need to hide. Live your life out in the open.

As she began to move slowly, deliberately shifting her body from one angle to another and turning her head from side to side, she spoke to me of seeing life from all perspectives. Be open to shifting the place from which you view the world. It is limiting to stay in a fixed position and only see the world from your conditioned point of view. You will be amazed at what you will find when you open to other ways of seeing.

The stillness was interrupted as she began to shake and flap her wings. She was telling me that it is necessary to ruffle feathers sometimes. While your life intention is to live in peace, others may not always accept you for who you are. That’s okay!

She then began to move around in circles while rustling her feathers as if she was dancing. This encouraged me to dance the dance of life with wild abandon. Dance to the beat of your own drum whether others can hear or of move with you or not.

She had remained quiet up to this point, but suddenly her song flowed out. Her soft “coo” sounded for all the world as if she was saying “you” as invited it to flow through me. She was reminding and encouraging me to sing my song. Sing the song of “you,” not someone else’s song. Your song is unique to you.

In one final display, she disappeared from my sight as with one stealth movement she dove off the deck and into the trees below. One last message – Take the plunge into life, ALL of life. Dive in with abandon and live it fully!

While I received these messages as gifts that I needed to hear and receive this morning, they are universal. I share them with you to encourage you to embrace them as your own. Take them to heart.

In addition, I encourage you to pay attention to what shows up in your world today and every day. Take time to connect with creation all around you. Allow it to teach you. We are not separate. We are one. Let us celebrate our unity and learn from it.

¹ https://www.spiritanimal.info/hummingbird-spirit-animal/