DROPPING THE BUCKET

Today is the last day of what has been a remarkable sabbatical year, and tomorrow I start my new job. I ritualized the transition in an odd way–by cleaning my room! As I dusted each picture and each item, I said a prayer of thanksgiving for family, friends, and life experiences they represented. Then I got out the office items that have followed me through my adult life phases: from career as biology teacher, through community leadership, into (very symbolical!) storage during the sabbatical year, and now into my new office in the Career Center at Brescia University.

I felt a golden glow of gratitude for what has been, and a twinge of anticipation for what will be. I’m READY for it, and eager to get settled in tomorrow. But my dream journal has been telling me that I have some anxiety about taking on this new venture–can I do it? Will I be successful? Face it, I’m a technophobe, and am nervous about having to learn database and spreadsheet computer programs for the other half of my job, as Grants Coordinator…

I took comfort from this morning’s readings at Mass, which were full of reassurances that God will provide whatever we need (even mutiplying loaves and fishes if necessary). Then, in prayer later in the day, I randomly opened A Book of Wonders by Ed Hayes, and look what it said: “Trusting, I lower my empty bucket into You, the mystic bottomless well, filling it full of whatever I truly need to accomplish the task You have given me.” Well, I guess I finally got the message!