Clay in the Hands

Much has happened since day 10 of my journey on the Camino (my last post here). I did complete the walk on day 13 and walked into the city of Santiago de Compostela, out onto the plaza of the Cathedral and took in the sights. The experience of joining the multitude of pilgrims who have made this journey before me was part of what overwhelmed me. It has been much to process (and will continue to be). The last three days of the journey were a mixture of gratitude, pain, tears, prayer and effort. So at the end of each day, there was just too much to put into words.

In the coming days, I will share from those days as I have continued to think through all God did there and continues to do in me.

One of the fears I have had in the return to “regular life,” is that things would return to “normal.” Some may think, but don’t we want normal? For me, God has worked in me over the past several weeks – particularly through the experience of the Camino – and shown me that there are some changes I need to implement in my life. Thus, my anxiety on returning to “regular life,” and not following through with the needed changes.

I journaled each day of my walk and have continued that discipline regularly. At the beginning of my sabbatic leave, I ran across a journaling activity that helped me re-launch into this practice. A question was given to meditate on and I did my best to do so. The question was this: If the last three months of your life were a headline, what would that headline be?

As I thought about that question and my life leading up to my time away, my headline emerged: Something’s Got To Give. That was the headline for the three months leading up to my sabbatical. I was tired, burned out and desperately looking for renewal. I am happy to say, God is in the process of that renewal even now. My new headline has become: Slow Down and Simplify.

So moving forward, my prayer is that I can live out this new headline. Being a very task oriented person, it is easy for me to push myself to be overly busy, leaving little time for margin. I have known for years that where there is no margin, there cannot be creativity. But knowing that has not helped me actually create margin to this point. But my prayer is that God will grant me the grace and courage to slow down and simplify.

How about you? Do you push yourself to do more and more in hopes of being productive or successful? An amazing truth we all need to remember is that God is more concerned about who you become than what you do. He wants your heart more than your activity.

Slow down today and simply spend time with Him.

¡Buen Camino!

Read Full Post »