SO many many years ago, a wonderful high school friend and I reconnected and she asked me if I was possibly open to a new adventure. I had not seen her in so many years yet absolutely adored her. She mentioned that the school she was dean of students at had a theatre teaching position open and I had crossed her mind as a possible option.
I jumped and thought sure why not give it a shot. I could go and interview and see what came if it. I flew up to Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful trip. A chance to reconnect with a dear friend and her partner and to experience what life was like in the New England states. A Beautiful part of our country that I truly want to experience...but I digress...
One of the most interesting portion of the interview process was being asked the same question, numerous times, " How do you handle silence?" I was completely taken aback at this question.
As many of you know, I don't handle it well. I am a talker. Not sure you knew that or not...
Well recently, the topic of silence came back into my view and thought process. It is not that I had forgotten this topic, it is just so easy to forget...Loading on numerous projects, surrounding yourself with kids who function at a different level of energy, begin pulled this way, that way...finding silence when you can...usually in the wee morning hours, sipping the dark coffee, and trying to wake up...when you would rather get back under the warm covers and dark interiors of your bedroom...trying to silence the voices of reminders of everything you experienced the day before, or schedule reminders of everything you have to get done this day or that.
My pastor provided a wonderful book for our perusal for a leadership formation group we are creating at church. The book was entitled, "The Good Life: Benedict's Guide to Everyday Joy" by Robert Benson. One chapter covers the idea that one must find a way to learn how to order your life in such a way that there is a balance between my prayer, my rest, my work, my family, and my community times. He went on to state, " It is in the returning and rest that we shall be saved. But not if we do not even stop and sit down and be SILENT."
Love this so much!
Cultivate SILENCE.
For it is during this time that we silence our heads, (Which is not an easy task) our hearts, (Easier that we think) and allow God to enter in. He went on to state that it was also true that if there is no time set aside for the inward journey then there would definitely not be much energy left for the journey outward."
Once this happens, we are back to the rat race, blurring the sidelines and racing through our lives...not taking the time to really listen to those around us, being surface, and superficial.
Slow down.
Open your ears and hearts, dear friends. Cultivate Silence.
And allow whatever God, whatever spirit guide you pray to, to enter into your heart and head and bring solace...it is something we desperately need in the world of today...
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Grateful for...
There are so many things I can look back over 2012 and be completely grateful for...
Currently I am sitting here, procrastinating putting all of the Christmas boxes away in the attic because it just makes me so sad...I wish that Christmas could stay up all year round...yet as Justin puts it, then it would not be special as when it all comes back out of the attic and goes on display for all to enjoy.. I definitely can agree with that. However, it is the bare home without the trimmings that saddens me and makes me long for the full-tilt decorating that folks do. So happy, so light-hearted, so colorful, so creative, so giving, so much fun. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year...but what happens when it all comes down?
Depression hits and we are forced to look at barren walls, minimal decor, and struggling to make the joy come back...or maybe that is it? Maybe it is the joy that the season brings that we are to figure out how to instill in each other's lives? That feeling of giving unto others, by bringing a little color and pizazz into other folks' lives in turn finding joy in our day-to-day lives without the manger scene.
Directing A Christmas Carol this passed fall was one of those experiences where we were able to reach out to the community and give back. The show just lent itself to that. It was exciting to see the kids working so hard to bring joy to their audiences or to lend a hand by knitting or crocheting a scarf or bringing in a couple cans of food to share with a food pantry. It was definitely one of those wonderful experiences that will not likely be forgotten so soon, that is for sure.
There is something to be said about not being self-centered. Perhaps it is better to place your focus on being outward. We, as Americans, are caught in a conundrum. We have created a "what's in it for me?" mentality in our youth and have become the "Honey Boo Boo/ Real Housewives" generation, as disgusting as that may sound. It is the truth. Everyone demands hand outs and that everything will be given to them instead of working hard to create your own success...They expect instant fame, instant gratification, and instant wealth. They quickly learn that in order to succeed, you can only get so far on self-centeredness. you will eventually have to reach out to others for help.
If only we could keep what Scrooge learned in our hearts all year round and maintain the "give back" mentality that Christmas promotes. Just think of where our world would be then?
Currently I am sitting here, procrastinating putting all of the Christmas boxes away in the attic because it just makes me so sad...I wish that Christmas could stay up all year round...yet as Justin puts it, then it would not be special as when it all comes back out of the attic and goes on display for all to enjoy.. I definitely can agree with that. However, it is the bare home without the trimmings that saddens me and makes me long for the full-tilt decorating that folks do. So happy, so light-hearted, so colorful, so creative, so giving, so much fun. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year...but what happens when it all comes down?
Depression hits and we are forced to look at barren walls, minimal decor, and struggling to make the joy come back...or maybe that is it? Maybe it is the joy that the season brings that we are to figure out how to instill in each other's lives? That feeling of giving unto others, by bringing a little color and pizazz into other folks' lives in turn finding joy in our day-to-day lives without the manger scene.
Directing A Christmas Carol this passed fall was one of those experiences where we were able to reach out to the community and give back. The show just lent itself to that. It was exciting to see the kids working so hard to bring joy to their audiences or to lend a hand by knitting or crocheting a scarf or bringing in a couple cans of food to share with a food pantry. It was definitely one of those wonderful experiences that will not likely be forgotten so soon, that is for sure.
There is something to be said about not being self-centered. Perhaps it is better to place your focus on being outward. We, as Americans, are caught in a conundrum. We have created a "what's in it for me?" mentality in our youth and have become the "Honey Boo Boo/ Real Housewives" generation, as disgusting as that may sound. It is the truth. Everyone demands hand outs and that everything will be given to them instead of working hard to create your own success...They expect instant fame, instant gratification, and instant wealth. They quickly learn that in order to succeed, you can only get so far on self-centeredness. you will eventually have to reach out to others for help.
If only we could keep what Scrooge learned in our hearts all year round and maintain the "give back" mentality that Christmas promotes. Just think of where our world would be then?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)