With summer comes a sense of space opening up, a moment to catch your breath and take in all of God's creation; a settling. Summer brings both endings and beginnings as we so often create our rhythms around the bookends of a school year, the end of one, the beginning of another...
What if.....
What if we made space to take it all in all year round...
What if we made stillness and tranquility and settling and listening a part of every season of our lives...
What if we took in the moment and stayed connected with those around us instead of walking through our lives in a haze of busyness, having no idea what is going on in the soul of the person sitting across the table from us...
What if we had deep, authentic connection and community and truly loved one another the way we are called to love one another....
What if we actually listened to one another's hearts....
At the end of this summer, Haven will celebrate 7 years....
In those years, we have been sifted...
We have walked through hard spaces....
We have laughed until we have cried...
We have done our own "work" so that we can sit across from our people and truly hear them from a heart of understanding...
At the beginning of this Summer, I can say that we have become even more sure of our call, where we are assigned to walk, who we are called to walk with on this journey, and who we are to come alongside. Thank you to the One who writes our stories, who knows the beginning from the end, and is there with us through each moment of every season, every beginning, every ending, every hard space, every tear, every laugh until you can't breathe.
Praying that this summer is a space where you can find the you that you were created to be...find your people that get you and love you and will walk through your hard and your joy with you....that you create margin and space...and that you are able to take up all of your space living fully and content as you.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion ----
to give them a beautiful headress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord,
that he may be glorified,
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastation of many generations.
Isaiah 61: 1-4 ESV
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