Back in the Saddle

The poet, Mary Oliver, has these “instructions for living a life”:

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.

Glencoe Valley, Scotland

As a part of the work I do as a priest, I have the great privilege of taking a sabbatical every 5-7 years. Being away from the daily grind afforded me the time to follow these instructions. I had the time to pay attention. To pay attention to people- my aging parents, my maturing teenagers, my hard-working husband, my dear friends. To pay attention to creation- the delicate design on the petals of a foxglove flower, the stars and moon above, the smell of the salty sea. To pay attention to my interior life- the wisdom garnered over the pandemic, the hopes I am holding onto through the years, the healing of rest, the delight of being.

And I am indeed astonished!

God is so faithful and present and mysterious! People are so beautiful and complicated and interesting! Being alive is so astonishing and strange and invigorating!

Following Mary Oliver’s instructions, I am now telling you about it. I’ll be blogging about a few insights from the sabbatical period as they strike me. I pray that you will also find time to break away from your daily grind to pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it. Or, perhaps like me this morning as I jump back in the saddle of parish ministry, you are learning to follow Mary Oliver’s instructions while also making your workplace contributions to society.

Blessings upon you, and do comment below if you want to “tell about it” here.