Friday, July 08, 2011

friday five: summertime and the living is abundant!

painted by my dear friend Wendilee Heath O'Brien

At RevGals Dorcas greets us: So, what's up, Rev Gals and Pals? How are you spending your summer? (I know, some of you are in a different hemisphere and it may be chilly...sorry!) Are you experiencing fire or floods or tornados? Vacationing? Working harder than ever? Experiencing change? Longing for change?


Share five things that are happening in your life, personally or professionally or some of each, in this season of life.

1) Big change here! An involuntary departure from my most recent adventure in parish ministry has led to an amazing opportunity. Through what can only be attributed to divine intervention I am now working at a local university as interim director of their center for women and nontraditional students. This is an amazing place, great staff, and I am in heaven.

2) My departure from the parish (I wasn't fired, there just wasn't money to support my continuing employment) led to a great deal of soul-searching, grieving and assessing. I realized this morning, tearing up as I listened to a moving story on NPR, that the boundaries of parish ministry were like shackles on my soul. I feel liberated (thank you, God!), and am reconnecting to deep reservoirs within my being that feed me in hugely beneficial ways. I will probably be a more sacramental presence to the people I serve here than I could be to members of my previous parishes thanks to this change. I feel like Lazarus being unbound.

3) Grandchild number three is due to make his or her entrance into the world any day now. Can't wait to meet him or her!

4) Because I am no longer working a parish ministry schedule I have weekends! That is a big, huge, fat Amen!

5) Being in a new work environment I am meeting new people, experiencing new challenges, finding new strengths, reviving my confidence and plunging with glee into the future. Yay! and YAY!

5 comments:

The Bug said...

Yay yay yay yay & yay! :)

Processing Counselor said...

Yay! Your new job/call sounds great and i love that painting, too!

Jan said...

Your new calling/job sounds wonderful, with many bonuses like weekends off! That will help with another grandchild. Hopefully, the grandchildren live nearby. I'm glad you usually post pictures, and so we'll be eager to see the new arrival.

I am excited that my one and only grandchild (and her parents) are coming to visit this weekend!

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

I have a new grandbaby, so I understand! Your responses brought tears to my eyes...I am rejoicing for you. Wishing that a similar door had opened for me when I left my little parsih, but feeling joy for you finding a perfect place!

Terri said...

Yay! And YAY! Glad for you.

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