Time Flies

An unusual phrase, but we all know what it means. It feels like the days of the sabbatical are accelerating toward their conclusion. So I find one of my favorite t-shirts to put on. It reads, "So many books, so little time."

Clearly, a sabbatical is neither a quick fix nor a drastic intervention. It's a gift of time and space in the middle of an active life. It's a season to catch up with one's self, to nurture one's spirit. And it's a season to build on the things that remain: relationships, vocation, spiritual life, and The Big Relationship.

I am deeply grateful that it has been all of these things for me.

With just over a week left, I've had touches of depression and anxiety as the experience comes to an end. Yet the whole experience has sown many seeds for my future. Here are just a handful:

• I have a rekindled love of scripture, particularly as a personal Word from God rather than merely the source of sermons and studies.
  
• I have a deepened appreciation for God's gifts as received through other folks, and a conviction that Christ's ministry must be shared among as many people as possible.
  
• I have great clarity about our congregation's need to minister to an increasing number of children and families.
  
• I enjoy a very deep love for all four of my children and my wife, and appreciation for my network of beloved friends.
• I know in my bones that Torah is a Gift, and that the Sabbath commandment is given for the benefit of the human race.
  

If I forget to tell you this, dear reader, thank you for your encouragement and support during this journey. Your prayers have been heard, and my prayers have been answered.