With the frantic pace of last week this body needed a bit of a healing… and there is no healing like a walk on the beach! So it was that I headed to the shore on Monday morning, first to pick up the picnic table I scored at the Upper Sackville Yard Sale for five bucks and then to drop off 500 feet of rope that I’d picked up for a friend (yes, that’s what happens when you have a truck).
I travelled to the shore via the High Marsh Road and was encouraged to see the fields greening and some of the fields worked up and ready for planting. After dropping off the rope I then took some time to inspect the site where our trailer will be spending the summer! We are so looking forward to having this space and place to retreat to!
After some conversation with the person arranging for the shale to be put in for the driveway and pad (while Rasta visited EVERY tree on the property) we headed to the beach! While I enjoyed my first ice cream cone of the season Rasta investigated tidal pools, raced along the sandbar and chased a puff of seaweed! As I walked the beach for an hour I replayed the last few days, giving thanks for the visit with Paul and pondered the text for this Sunday and was able to say with a smile, to someone who asked, that this was the view from my office this morning!
The tide comes in and the tide goes out… life goes on!
Arriving at the rotary at Port Elgin I had a choice to make – there are three ways to return home… having such choice is a gift. I chose to travel through Shemogue and then across the highway 940 through Midgic and Upper Sackville.
Arriving in Sackville I connected with a friend who was celebrating their 61st birthday and we joined the flood of people in town for convocation at a local Sackville eatery! Yes, I felt old in the crowd of young people – as I did at Ducky’s on Friday night and Joey’s on Saturday night – but I also feel incredibly blessed: to share life with the people I do, to do the work I do and to have enjoyed as many years as I have. Such treasurers are not to be taken for granted.
To close, I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting of the life of Jean Vanier these past few days, and this morning I found myself remembering the the last time I heard him speak, it was at a conference hosted by Prison Fellowship International in Toronto, Ontario. In one of his conversations with the plenary session I remember being struck by these words: ‘Happiness comes when we choose to be who we are, to be ourselves, at this present moment in our lives…’ I was happy then. I am even happier now. May it be so for you as well.
Lloyd
Looking Ahead
This morning I am working from home this morning and will be in the office this afternoon. Part of the afternoon will be spent arranging visits for the next couple of weeks. Call if you’d like to see me… or call and tell me not to call you (lol). On Wednesday I have meetings back to back from 9am through to 8pm. On Thursday I will be doing pastoral visits at the Sackville Hospital and the Drew followed by a meeting with the Worship and Sanctuary Committee at 4PM. Sunday morning will see us gathering at Upper Sackville at 9am and at Sackville United at 11am. During the gathering at Sackville United we will hear some reflections from those who took part in the Kairos Atlantic gathering earlier in the month. Hope to see you at one of the Sunday Morning Gatherings… or before!
PS… if you’ve read this far I’d really appreciate your feedback on these Musings. Do you appreciate receiving them? What would you like to see more of? What would you like to see less of? Would you mind if I took a break from doing this during the summer months?