While running errands today, I had my first sighting of fall colors. This is my favorite season of the year! Though New Year’s Eve is generally considered a time for reflection and renewal, this time of year equally draws me towards a time for discernment. Schedules tend to change from a more relaxed summer vibe to fuller fall schedule. Children of all ages are back in school, workloads tend to increase, and winter clothes and gear get pulled out. The newness of the season is exciting, which makes me consider my path for the coming season of my life—and a Wisconsin winter!
In his book, Let Your Life Speak, Parker Palmer offers this question, “Is the life I am living the same as the life that wants to live in me?” He suggests that “before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent.”
Learning to make space to listen to your deepest longings and beginning to trust those more can be quite challenging. We are distracted by the busyness of our life with lists of errands and projects constantly running in our heads. We diligently try to keep on top of our schedule because we thrive on busyness. And, probably the biggest challenge to listening to our inner thoughts is self-doubt. There are all kinds of reasons we learn to doubt ourselves. We don’t believe in ourselves; we don’t trust our thoughts; we doubt that our dreams and desires for our life could ever come to fruition.
One practice I found helpful when trying to slow down and spend time with my thoughts and dreams is basic photography using my phone. Whether going for a walk on a familiar route or finding a new path to take, taking pictures of what I see helps me focus on what stands out—it quiets the non-stop busy thoughts and/or self-doubt running through my mind. It also gives me time to be quiet and alone and to see and hear what surrounds me that I may not ordinarily pay attention to. I find that I am better able to listen to what God may be saying to me during these moments.
The seasons of our surrounding environment change and so do the seasons of our lives. Regardless of how you define your current life path or location, your personal discernment is always in season. It is a practice to continue throughout your entire life. So, this fall season, I encourage you to take some time out for yourself. Go for a walk or find a quiet place to sit and just be alone with your thoughts. Use the camera on your phone to focus on and photograph what you see around you, perhaps there are things you wouldn’t ordinarily see. Listen to what positive thoughts or ideas surface, and consider what God may be saying to you.
Peace,
Pastor Beth
