The time has come, the Walrus said,
To talk of many things -
Of sun and sand and glittery rays
And starting the day with words on a page.
Okay, that may not be exactly what the Walrus said (to borrow from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) but he might have said that if he has a new journal in which to write a new page each day. At least, I can imagine that is what he would say. Leave it to Lewis Carroll to write poems that forever stick in your imagination. For some reason the rhyme got up with me this bright, summer morning.
A new journal always inspires me. This one is from Oxford. It was the first thing I bought when I arrived in Oxford this Spring, during the Oxford Literary Festival. This blank book is made out of an old book, and filled with fresh pages. It's the perfect idea to me, as they are a beautifully restored piece of bookish history. They are not cheap, but I always end up getting one each year. Old books being re-purposed for me to write in? Yes - please! The spine holds a secret - it's a title written in German.
I like to buy journals whenever I travel. It's a piece of that place which holds memories for me, and follows me home. Just thinking about that gets me excited. Exploring, traveling, and observing are great joys to me. I smile just thinking about all the times I have spent writing about adventures and observations from a cosy cafe whilst sipping on a cappuccino. From Iceland, Scotland, and England. I find places everywhere I go.
I suppose I am a bit day dreamy today. I blame the new journal. See what this lovely new book and a mass of blank pages does to me? It makes my thoughts swirl with ideas and imagining myself in some favourite places here at home, or new places to come with a joy of discovery in my soul. Wandering places of old with stories to tell around every corner, and history written onto the threads of each building and on the narrow lanes. These things reach out to grab my attention and I notice with full appreciation.
Something I loved about Reykjavík, Iceland was that all the side streets were just as charming as the couple of main streets (filled with shops and restaurants). Just taking a side street at random kept my eyes always alert to the brightly coloured houses and interesting details. I thought I would share a few of those photos I haven't shared yet, since they were just random photos taken as we wandered the northernmost capital city in the world.
Iceland has very dark winters, so they tend to paint their buildings bright colours, and street art is everywhere to showcase creativity. It was such fun to experience another country's culture just by walking around. I always think the best way to see a city, and get to know it, is to walk it. I was pleasantly surprised how walkable Reykjavík was. I hope to go back someday.
Vocation becomes, then, a creative act, something we create with God and others, unique to each of our lives.
- Kathleen Cahalan
I've been given this book to reflect upon and it seems so appropriate that it has fallen into my hands at such a time. Isn't it interesting when God surrounds you with reminders by different avenues that you need to pay attention? I think God speaks to me in puzzles - pieces I have to put together for myself requiring paying attention to myself and the world around me to understand. This book is all about "calling" and vocation. The author reminds us that God's callings are all around us, but we have a hard time seeing them.
What is "calling"?
I'd like to think of calling as the action and movement through our unique story, and the passion that we use for the good of others. I like how the author introduces the use of prepositions to talk about calling. She points out that when most people talk about calling, they refer to a static thing (a noun). For example - "I'm trying to figure out what my vocation is". This leaves me with a sense of this solid thing I am trying to grasp at, that is already pre-made and complete. But our lives are not pre-made and complete. We are on a life-long journey of learning and growing.
I've heard of a story told by George MacDonald (a favourite 19th century Scottish writer and minister) that a young child was reluctant to want to go to heaven because he was told he would become a pillar of God, and he didn't want to become a pillar. Who would? A pillar is static, immobile, and cannot play. We are meant to be creative and imaginative all of our days, and beyond our days on earth. Why would God give us imaginations if we were not made to use them?
Instead of the static noun use of a vocation, the author suggests using prepositions (which in grammatical terms are small words serving to mark relation). This would include words such as by, to, as, from, for, in, through, within. I love that prepositions express relationship, and that is exactly what we were made for - relationship with God, and with other people.
The thing about using prepositions to talk about calling is that it is always moving. It puts us in the creative act of imagination that is unique to each of our lives and moves us forward. It is the story we tell with our lives.
When I muse about how God created us to create, I always think about sub-creation, which is something J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a lot about. He believed that we were made to be sub-creators in this world. As you may know, he was a master sub-creator, inventing the world of Middle-earth and the vast history, stories, lineages, languages, and maps. He took his job as an earthy sub-creator seriously and look what he has made - the most complex, detailed, and beautiful tales of love, sacrifice, and goodness. He followed his passion of creating a world and its history, which has inspired millions of readers who have encountered The Lord of the Rings and writers who ventured into a new kind of way of telling stories to a modern world.
Through the book, she goes through many different prepositions and talks through ways our calling can be seen in those actions. She writes about being called as a follower, being called as we are, being called from places or situations, being called for service and work, and several other ways. Touching on all aspects of life, I could begin to see how we all have many different callings on our lives, and we live them out in our own ways. This inspires me to dive into my own callings, because I know they are unique to me, and God will show me ways in which I can do good with these gifts I have. I don't doubt that God can find ways to put me to use. I just need to keep paying attention for what He is showing me.
I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
Acts 20.32
When I start my day with several minutes reading Scripture, I am setting myself up for a more focused, centered-on-God kind of day. There is something about reading words that opens us up to listening to God speak to us through these ancient texts. If we are to work towards who God made each of us to be, we need to be immersed and be familiar with His words.
My daily routine is such that I make a cup of coffee and open up my beautiful cloth-bound hardback Bible on my lap to read. I don't aim to read a lot - it sometimes can be less than a chapter if I am reading slowly. Sometimes I will re-read a section if I feel like there was something to pay closer attention to.
I feel built up when I start my day this way. Even if I am reading through passages that don't initially register with me. I trust that God will help provide clarity through the Spirit as appropriate. And that clarity may come later down the road.
Is as if the Lord has put these words of encouragement (or questions, stories, frustrations, lessons, etc) in Scripture to equip my soul with the defenses it will need for the days ahead. To strengthen my knowledge through truth. To dwell in the words. To have these words on the tips of our hearts everyday. What if everyone did that? How much better equipped we would be to show one another grace?
I wake to the sound of a bird singing a tune of the rain
Flapping through the rain-soaked sky
A steady rain and grey sky doesn't wake all
But this particular bird,
He flits and flutters joyfully
Coming around again.
To the shelter of the limb, high above ground
Thick leaves hover above, offering what they can,
as if an umbrella was opened.
Rain splashes off and falls to puddles
on the ground.
Pools for a swim later.
I have only had time for poetry lately. Short dashes of words and phrases expressed from a momentary reflection. The ounces of creativity that overflow in a few minutes as I pay attention to the present moment. Days flow quickly like a rushing river, and I long for that which we all wish we had more of -- time. Thoughtful musings need time. But in these bursting moments of poems, I let the words flow out like the quick and intense cloudbursts we have had lately. The summer season of heat surrounds us with moisture every day, in the air, and then in the raindrops. I cannot help but write about it when my imagination had a few minutes to spare. I imagined these little birds who were singing so exuberantly, splashing around in all the puddles that are left behind by the storm.
A daydream rises into the air
Floating around the lightness
of a slow Saturday.
Coffee and sunshine abound
in the midst of people -
A busy come and go.
Cool marble table where I sit,
poised with pen, scribbles on pages -
Then, an open book,
as the morning swings on.
I deeply abide in the moment,
letting the words leap onto the pages.
Conversations sway in and around -
casual like everyone today.
A day off in the sunshine.
He existed before everything else, and He holds all creation together.
- Colossians 1.17
Our lives each have purpose and importance. We have gifts and talents that make us unique creations. God also created us with that deep need to participate and enjoy the lives of others. All good things come from God, as James tells us, and we have lives that are filled with gifts, especially through other people who are a part of our lives. Since we were made with a relational design, we have to learn how to relate well to others, and learn more about ourselves through that process. So many things impact the way in which we engage with others, from our childhood history and upbringing to the experiences we have had since a young age.
I am thankful for the opportunity to read this book, The Relational Soul, and to be gifted with the ability to engage with the depth of it. Exploring these things in yourself is both fascinating and awakening. Sometimes we cannot see the connection as we dwell within our own lives, caught up in the experiences, but when we take a step back and evaluate, or map out some of our experiences, or have someone along side us helping us see certain things, we begin to see patterns emerging and therein rests many learning opportunities for what to do next.
The premise of this book helps the reader grasp at different scenarios of life, and relational situations that could cause tension and struggle. We read examples so that we can place ourselves in there and see what could be worked on relationally. If we are able to recognize it here, we will be able to grow the desire to be more fully present in our everyday relationships and be more mindful about how we are with each of them.
My favourite line of the book is "The one who loves more sees more. (Love is a form of knowledge)."
Since I am of the personality who loves to learn and acquire knowledge above all, this reminds me that in all my love of learning and gaining knowledge, loving more aligns perfectly with all that I seek, and I shall see more through loving more.
God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished.
- Philippians 1.6
The routine of summer commences.
I can feel it making home here.
Thick, heavy air fills the hours,
drenched in the layers of moisture above.
The sun feels stronger,
drying the leaves in minutes
after a quick spot shower.
Green leaves flourish on each limb,
soft and nimble they dance
in the wind.
Of the approaching storm, they fear not,
They know well the tropical nature
of the rain-drenched noons,
and in gladness praise the rays
of the sun-soaked days.
