It’s hard to believe fall is already in full swing with shorter days and the leaves starting to change their shades, but before we get too far into the season, I want to pause to remember some of what I’ve learned or have been re-learning over the summer to let the lessons reach a deeper place in my heart. I hope they can be encouraging to you and maybe help stir your own reflections of what you’ve been learning as well.
Emily P. Freeman often references Jan Johnson and John Dewey, who have been noted to contend,
“It’s not the experience that brings transformation; it’s our reflection upon our experience.”
So with that in mind, here is a bit of what I learned this past summer:
1) When I’m trying to finish a big goal, I may have to pause or quit way more than anticipated.
I’m happy to say I graduated with my master’s degree in spiritual formation in August, and all of the reading, work, and writing were well worth the time and energy. But I have to admit that as time went on and I got closer to my goal, more and more other tasks and responsibilities needed to be put on hold.
Intuitively, I knew going in to my master’s program that I wouldn’t be able to simply add on such a huge undertaking without needing to let some other things go, but for the first several months, even though all of it was challenging from the beginning, I actually was able to keep up with more tasks than I thought. It was a stretch and a struggle, but somehow I was mostly keeping up. However, as the coursework continued, rather than getting used to the workload, I instead felt the weight of it more and more and sensed the need and calling one by one to let more things go.
Besides pausing with some of my volunteer activities at church and other responsibilities, I even took a break from sending my weekly “Treasure Hunt Tuesday” emails over the summer, which I’m just now getting back in the routine of sending. (If you aren’t already receiving those, you can sign up through the form at the bottom of this page. My goal is to remember and share treasures that have been encouraging or interesting to bring hope and uplifting perspective each week.)
2) I need to do better about giving myself a break.
This point was originally titled, “It can be hard to get back in a groove after a change in seasons,” but I decided I needed to reconsider my perspective here as well. After pausing several tasks and responsibilities to finish my degree, somehow I thought I would seamlessly pick them all back up as soon as I graduated, but that has been more challenging than I thought it would be.
While I can easily start to get frustrated with myself, I realized while writing this that it hasn’t really been that long since I graduated, plus I started a new job… so maybe I need to adjust my expectations and not be so hard on myself. 😊 And I want to be prayerful and thoughtful about what I pick back up instead of assuming I need to do all the same things as before.
3) Big celebrations make me think of so many people with gratitude while also stirring moments of grief.
Finishing my degree and starting work as a chaplain with our hospice team in what could only be a God-ordained timing has brought many emotions in thinking of all the people who have helped and encouraged me along this journey.
Even deciding to pursue the degree in the first place was a huge decision for me, involving much prayer but also many conversations with people so patient to continually listen to me share my thoughts, fears, and internal debates about what to do. And I will always have a special place in my heart for the friends who spent two solid years listening to me tell them when my next paper was due and how many pages it had to be and how much I had to read before I could write it, even as I would finally get one done and already be stressing about the next one! Plus some people even let me ramble on about what all the books I was reading were actually about, which was my absolute favorite!
But in addition to the people who have walked with me throughout this stretch of the journey, as I drew nearer to the point of graduation and job transitions, I also became acutely aware of how several people who are no longer with us on earth played such huge roles in encouraging me along these directions even if they didn’t get to the point of knowing the degree or jobs I would be pursuing. The way they showed they believed in me was something I carried with me to the point that they specifically came to my heart and mind with gratitude in the midst of my graduation celebrations, even as a twinge of grief in missing them came alongside these feelings as well.
I am in awe afresh of how God brings just the right people into our lives at just the right times. And I pray I can bring the kind of encouragement to others that people like Rick, Jim, and Sheila brought to me in a way that carried beyond their time on earth.
4) Small splurges can spark great joy.
This is something it seems I’m always re-learning, and I’ve been reminded of it again in this past season as well. It’s amazing how something as simple as buying good pens can make a difference in my mood without actually spending that much more money. But every time I write, I notice the difference if I have one of my favorite pens.
Also, toward the end of summer, I spent $5 for three sunflowers at a vendor fair in the restaurant where I had breakfast, and they brightened my heart every day for a week… I need to remember to do things like this more often.
And then there’s always ice cream, which of course can make any day better… but then again maybe that’s a splurge I need to do a little LESS often!
I’d always love to hear from you, too! Is there anything you’ve been learning over the past season that especially stands out to you? Or what small treasures have been bringing you great joy? Feel free to leave a comment below or get in touch with me anytime.
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