Sometimes it’s strange to be in an in-between place. I heard them described as “Holy Saturday” moments–a place between the end of one part of life and the beginning of another. But perhaps an even better description would be as the “Day After the Ascension” time; the previous focus of your life is not visible any more, and the Holy Spirit has not enlightened you yet! I think a lot about how the disciples must have felt the day after Jesus ascended…lost? confused? empty?
As I search for my next ministry, it feels rather like that. On the one hand, I’m restless and eager to get on with the next thing in my life, and on the other hand I’m enjoying the extra time to read, pray and think in this theoretically unstructured time.
I say “theoretically” because there seems to be a law of nature that says “work expands to fill the time available!” According to my calendar from the past week, it looks like I am doing a full-time environmental ministry. Testing the water at Panther Creek, checking the beehives, participating in “Agriculture Day” at Saint Mary’s Elementary School in Whitesville (teaching about water, water testing, and beekeeping to K-7 grades), meeting with the Parks Department in preparation for Rally for the River on June 25, writing a talk, and going to Bee School this coming weekend–not bad for an old unemployed lady, huh? And of course it was my cook week at home. The other three sisters are happy to have a fourth in the cooking rotation. I will let you know how it feels to be bored if it ever happens to me.