The Spirit's Nudge

​“…tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.” 2 Cor. 8:2

“Attention is the doorway to gratitude, the doorway to wonder the doorway to reciprocity.” Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Braiding Sweetgrass”

How often, in our tiredness, do we loss attention? We find ourselves sleepwalking through life and we miss the opportunities for reciprocity, the opportunities to give back or start the giving. We are fatigued. Pandemic fatigue. Mask fatigue. Separation fatigue. Zoom fatigue. Tired though we are, we must allow ourselves overflowing happiness, overflowing generosity and overflowing reciprocity.

As I sat by my window during last week’s snowstorms I was mesmerized by the work of the robins and other birds in my Mountain Ash tree. Not only were they gathering the berries for their much needed trip south, they were also knocking the heavy snowfall from the branches, thus ensuring that the life of the Mountain Ash would continue for the next flock of birds, typically the Cedar Waxwings at Christmas time. If the robins hadn’t come to feast on the bounty of the October berries, the snow would have collapsed the tree and the berries for the waxwing’s Christmas feast would have died. In turn, the waxwings will finish off the berries in December, allowing the much needed dormant season of the tree to focus its rest in preparation for the spring bloom. And thus the cycle continues. Reciprocity of Mother Earth at her finest.

Tired though I was during the storm, I allowed myself the opportunity to give my attention to this doorway of wonder at these birds. I also saw how tired the birds were as they would, on occasion, fly into my big window. I was relieved that none of them sustained an injury; they shook themselves off and got back to the feasting and flying. That is what I find myself doing. Shaking the tired from my mind and going back through the next doorway of opportunity. Shaking the tired from my bones and going through the next doorway of wonder. The wonder that I find in prayer, laughter and grace. Won’t you follow me, tired though you are, through that doorway of wonder?


Peace,
Pastor Pam

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Pastor Pam Peterson