Spring Break

Once again "spring break" is drawing to a close.  This will be my third such break of seminary and one of six or so breaks.  Every year the same pattern emerges for the break period.  I spend the weeks prior to break saying things like, "I'll get that done during break."  Or, "We'll get together during break."  My head swirls with visions of a clean house, a defeated stack of paperwork, a long list of accomplished visitations, and various other student/pastor fantasies.

However, what actually transpires during break is something entirely different.  Several times in the past the death of a beloved parishioner has occurred during break.  This immediately diverts the bulk of my attention to pastoral care, not only for the family, but for the entire congregation.  It is holy work.

Other times family crises have arisen which garnered the bulk of my break time so that any thoughts of getting "caught up" or "getting ahead" have flown right out the window.  Sigh...this break wasn't any different.

This spring, the bulk of my break time was spend flat on my back in bed with some biological abomination that had by-passed my immune system.   I did little more than sleep and once the immediate crisis was past...recover.  I will return to campus on Tuesday no further along in my journey for accomplishment than when break began.

I will once again return to the practice of "slogging along."

Maybe that is the point.  Maybe my visions of accomplishment are nothing more than a fantasy, a pipe dream.  Maybe the real accomplishment in life is the "slogging along," the putting one foot in front of the other.  Doing what is in front of me and then...doing the next.

Maybe.....the point is to find the beauty and grace of God's presence in the "slogging."  Each moment living in the present being holy, sacred.

Even though Lent is half way through, I believe I will give something up.  My unrealistic expectations of accomplishment.  I feel freer already.