Revisit. Reevaluate. Redirect.

if needed...

I know I’m late on posts, and you’re finding this in your inbox on a Friday afternoon which is a big no-no for blogs. But I’m honestly okay with it, so just let’s roll on.

It’s been a quiet-ish year for me. In January, I pretty much withdrew from my social media platforms and have only recently started showing up in those spaces again…albeit very slowly.

I hid out for awhile because my life had gotten too noisy, and my online spaces were no longer interesting nor inspiring. I had even begun to question the work I was doing which signaled that I needed to step away for a bit.

But if you’ve been with me for any amount of time, you know that I can’t be quiet forever. I love to communicate. I love online communities. And I love to observe humanity in all of its highs and lows which is possible (to some extent) through social platforms.

My thinking chair.

I’m not going to lie though… the quiet has been wonderful. I have used this time to reach back and process all the thoughts and ideas I’ve had over the last few years. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about where I’ve been, what I do and where I would like to go. I've considered opportunities and how they align with my identity and my dreams. I have had a lot of time to ask God questions and wait for his answers.

There have been some disappointments and unexpected surprises. In some ways, this year has been a teacher showing up to clarify where I needed work and where I could rest. It was challenging at first. But I’ve learned to embrace the rest afforded to me in the silence and in the self imposed “time-out”.

Ironically enough, I even had to give up the schedule that I had for my posts here on Substack. And at first, I was frustrated at writing without a schedule, but I soon got over that too—yes, it’s been an educational year to say the least.

This pause has allowed me to look at every thing in my life with fresh eyes and the space to process what I discovered. I know it’s not plausible for most of us to take 9 months off, but I would recommend you factor in space to revisit, reevaluate and redirect if needed.

Last Sunday, I was up early sitting with the Lord in my favorite thinking chair that sits by a big picture window in my office. I was drawn to one of my favorite passages—a passage I have read countless times and have memorized.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. [Psalm 16:5-6]

And as I sat there in the dawning light, I saw this verse with new eyes. I saw the communion (Eucharist). I saw Jesus. And I marveled at how many times I had read this passage and never “saw” what had been here all along.

(My paraphrase:) I choose to partake in the communion (the bread and cup) of the One in whom all things are held together. In Him is the fullness of everything that concerns me, and my inheritance is divine union with Him.”

I simply held space to meditate and ponder a familiar passage, and Holy Spirit illuminated another dimension to bring me into a deeper awareness of these scriptures.

And in the same way I caught a new revelation of a familiar passage, this restful season has given me space to look again at the familiar routines of my life: my work, my writing, my family, my dreams, my to-do’s.

And there has been a lot of illumination. And subsequently, there have been lots of questions.

In the spirit of keeping this post on the shorter side, I’ll share more about those questions (and answers) in a later post. I also want to share in depth about the big disappointments and unexpected surprises.

But the point today is to encourage you to schedule in a pause to revisit, reevaluate and redirect—if needed. Ask God for fresh eyes to see clearly.

Ask Holy Spirit to illuminate the familiar things in a new way.

And be open to asking questions and waiting for the answers.

Until next time,

Melody