“Sabbatical” by luca.sartoni is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find God, I will find myself, and if I find my true self, I will find God. –Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Pg. 36
It was hot. No, let me scratch that; it was scorching! I could feel beads of sweat roll down my back. No sooner had I wiped my forehead with my shirt sleeve than I used the other sleeve to wipe away a new wave of sweat. We were all hot, but what do you expect when you visit Disney World in the summer? All five of us were hot. I wouldn’t say we were miserable; we were at Disney after all, but our emotions were certainly heightened. Tired turned exhausted. Hunger morphed into ravenousness. There we waited in line for the Peter Pan ride. 40 minutes in, our one-year-old had had enough. She was crying uncontrollably. Jessica and I took turns holding her, but it did nothing. And then God appeared. Thank goodness God was not a burning bush, but a Spanish-speaking mother. As she passed apple slices to her family, she took one, handed it to us, and smiled at our screaming child. We nodded in approval. Taylor took it and bit into it. She took another bite, then another, and another. Whether it was the coolness or the sweetness, her flushed cheeks turned back to their normal color, calm and collected. With a sprinkle of pixie dust, we were soon flying over Neverland.
“If I find God, I will find myself.” That day, I found God in the compassion and kindness of a complete stranger who treated my child as her own. Amid everything going on in our lives and in the world, isn’t it nice to know God can be discovered in such places and strangers?
My sabbatical was my first real rest from ministry, which began the day I sat down to take notes in my first seminary class, “The Impact of Judaism on Christianity.” Like any job, it is easy to over-identify with our work. Who are we when we aren’t fulfilling that role or wearing that title? Sabbatical was a gift because it let me set it all aside for three months and remember that I am more than just a pastor, dad, husband, or son, but Keith, a beloved child of God. The same child who used to lie in the grass, gazing up at walnut tree branches, talking to the wind about my day, knowing something sacred and mysterious was listening to every word.
You will hear it many more times, but thank you! Thank you for the sabbatical. Thanks to everyone who stepped up in some way while I was away, helping tend to the congregation’s life and health. Thank you for providing time and distance to remember who I am, and to reflect and discover how God has moved in my life. The saying is true: “Distance makes the heart grow fonder.” I missed Grace, and my family has missed Grace. Sabbatical was great, but I am ready and excited for ministry to come and for what God has planned for us together. Again, thank you! I pray you discover God this day and every day.
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