Maybe its because 2012 ended in such a rotten way for my family but I hadn’t given any thought to spiritual goals for 2013. As always Christmas was super busy but I felt I had a handle on it and then on New Years Eve, we got the news that my husband’s Grandmother had died.

It shouldn’t have been a huge shock, she was 92, but she hadn’t suffered any recent set backs. None of us saw it coming but that also means that it rocked us back on our heals at a time when everyone still had tons of social obligations.

Our last obligation for the season was an open house to celebrate Epiphany. Given that it was being hosted by our pastor, it was a big deal. We were expected to be there.

But the day before we’d been at a funeral. We’d been to the cemetery. I just couldn’t face a house full of people. So we played hooky. We went to the river.

We spent the afternoon on an exposed sandbar, poking around in the muck, rooting up shells and throwing rocks. We saw an eagle. We saw all kinds of birds I can’t name. I almost got assaulted by a friendly lab.

We weren’t exactly praying but by the time we climbed back up to our car, we were at peace. We were a bit more centered. We were a lot less stressed.

My spiritual goal for 2013 is to simply take the time to be, to go to places that are not crowded with people, and to appreciate some of the space that God created.
It isn’t big, it isn’t fancy, but its what I need to be spirituality healthy.

Do you know what you need?

–SueBE

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