It’s not a stretch to say the journey through 2020 looked a lot like the accompanying photo. Foggy. Uncertain. Stark and uncomfortable.
Yet, for many of us, these past months have been a time to learn [or relearn] more than a few meaningful life lessons. Not the way we would have preferred to be enlightened. Then again, we human beings are not always the most willing students, especially when everything seems to be moving along to our liking.
Aside from feeling like the Divine was unfolding a Master Work of taking me into a new depth of being humbled, it is my hope and prayer the following are a few of the insights I will endeavor to live out in 2021.
Slow down. While my calendar PP [prior to pandemic] wasn’t bursting at the seams, it didn’t take long for me to come face-to-face with the reality I needed to discern which activities and people were life-giving and essential rather than a big drain on my energy, creativity, and wherewithal to be truly helpful to those who most needed my assistance. Suffice it to say that now when I pray, ponder, and discern “what’s next” I do so with intention that did not exist before when it comes to saying yes or no.
Simplify. If I thought I was pretty good at keeping things simple PP, that concept took on a whole new meaning in successive months. Time is too short. Life is too precious. Many of us learned multiple tasks, activities, and general busyness is way over-rated. That to take a walk, enjoy a conversation with a friend, or prepare a simple meal are a few activities that can help us appreciate our blessings—and be a blessing to others.
Savor. When we move too fast or make things more complicated than they need to be, we are often oblivious to the momentary joys, the poignant words or glances, the sensory aspects of being human that add so much to our individual and corporate world. While we may have previously considered these the “little things”, they have now become the meaningful choices and behaviors we gladly embrace.
Study the photo for a few minutes. For me, the “silent wisdom” speaks volumes.
One can see the path for a few feet . . .what is ahead is unclear. A barn? A curve in the road? A dead end?
While the scene is devoid of brilliant color, the muted blacks, white, and grays disguise the hidden life within the trees . . . dormant, yes. Dead, no.
All of which makes me wonder—did we really believe PP that we controlled, knew, and fully understood this world we inhibit?
In that regard, maybe we can walk through 2021 with a new awareness that will hold us in good stead: there really is much more that we don’t know than we do. Maybe when we make peace with that Truth, we will begin to realize the only thing we really control are the choices and actions we make as we encounter each moment, each day.
Do I tend to overbook my life? Why?
How can I make simple what I have tended to complicate?
What does “savor” mean to me?
