Re-Entry to My New Normal

Yesterday was my day-off.  And I found myself pacing the cage.

After 2 weeks of a very scheduled life it was difficult to adjust to a day without a schedule.  I had been looking forward to it but once Monday arrived I didn't know what to do with it.  By afternoon my son Josh took me to a State Park where we went on a 6 mile hike through the forest and my inside world settled down and I enjoyed the rhythm of our hike.

Sunday morning, the day before yesterday, I drank a cup of coffee just before our worship service started because I wasn't patient enough to wait for decaf.  Big mistake.  By the time I stood up to speak my insides were in Tigger mode when I typically prefer Pooh.  As I spoke my internal Pooh was desperately trying to sit on my Tigger the whole time.  Despite that, it was an amazing morning as one after another of our RV family came up and shared a prayer for our church.

One thing that the SSU Modules have given me is a love for the prayers of others.  As a good little modern evangelical I learned that spontaneous prayer is the best prayer and probably the only kind worth praying.  Except the "Lord's Prayer" of course.  Praying the Psalms has long been an important part of my life.  But discovering the written voices of believers who've travelled this pilgrim way long before me, has been an enriching experience.  Joining our voices as one voice to lift the same thoughts and heart to God as a cry is a powerful thing.  Bonhoeffer gave me an appreciation for the power found in united hearts saying the same words in God's ear together.

Monday came and between the coffee hangover and the prayer time I was feeling full of energy on my day of rest.  The hike was good medicine for my soul.  At some point during our hike an email message arrived from one of my profs that I owe him some papers so after we got home I started getting my words together.

And now it’s Tuesday and I’m back in the office and trying to take on one thought at a time as I sort out where we go from here.  During my module prayer times I felt like God said some important stuff for me about my here and my now.  I’m excited to see what comes next.

Let me bless almighty God,

whose power extends over sea and land,

whose angels watch over all.

Let me study sacred books to calm my soul:                       

I pray for peace,

kneeling at heaven’s gates.

Let me do my daily work,

gathering seaweed, catching fish,

giving food to the poor.

Let me say my daily prayers,

sometimes chanting, sometimes quiet,

always thanking God.

Delightful it is to live

on a peaceful isle, in a quiet cell,

serving the King of kings.

- The Prayer of St. Columba