WELCOME TO AUTUMN At his time of year, it is traditional to write about letting go; the falling leaves as metaphor for our lives. But for many of us, 2020 has been the year of letting go—of travel plans and coffee with friends, and in-person celebrations, and church services, and even to loved ones who were taken by this illness. Perhaps we have heard enough about letting go for now. Instead, let’s consider the autumn harvest. My mother had a wicker cornucopia filled with fake fruits and vegetables that she always brought out in September as a reminder of abundance and a call to gratitude. What have you received over these last few months that might nourish your spirit and draw you closer to the Creator? Is there anything to be harvested from this upending of our lives? These “emptier” days have gifted me with space. Because there is less going on, I notice more. A friend’s tone of voice that tells me to stay on the phone a little longer than I had planned. An old dream bubbles to the surface and I pause to consider whether it still resonates, or its time has passed. I realize that it is fear that has kept me from one piece of work and pride that keeps me holding on to another. And each of these realizations is a fruit of the Spirit I would have very likely missed had I been moving at my usual pace. But now I notice, and I have the time and space to reflect-- which has led to some interesting conversations, largely one-sided, in my prayer time. Is my busyness in service to the Spirit or habit? The Spirit or my desire to be admired? The Spirit or a sense that I need to earn God’s love by doing? These are subtle discernments that require space and time and quiet and most of all require that I open myself to what God is saying, rather than what I have already decided is the best way to proceed. I wonder what you have been noticing. What will you harvest this autumn? Holly
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AuthorHolly Rockwell is a Spiritual Director at Estuary Soul Care and an avid naturalist. Archives
March 2022
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