September 2023

Reflection

I find myself in a time of transition and change. As I write this, Leigh Anne and I are in the midst of three different trips to the East Coast to pick up or drop off each of our kids. When we return on Monday, I fear our house will be too quiet.

In July, I took on a part-time position as the Director of Organizing for a national non-profit. I have been flooded with the information, systems and processes I need to know to do my work well. 

For me, the world is spinning a bit. I am grieving for what used to be and I am working to find my balance.

I keep thinking of two cliches about change::

• change is the only constant.  

• change is full of possibilities. 

Both are true. This also reminds me of the surfing metaphor I love dearly.  Like the ocean, life is unstable. I need to figure out how to surf the waves as far as I can. When I get knocked off, I get back on the board and ride again. In my best moments, I learn from my good decisions and my mistakes.  In that process, live in the moment, be ready to be knocked off the board and for the thrilling moments when you catch the wave and ride as far as you can.

For Kairos Collective, this summer, we have been riding a nice wave. Usually,summer is a time of low participation.  Instead, in June, 21 people attended dinner church.  In July and August, twice as many people participated this year than did in 2022.  With new people attending,  we had beautiful moments of sharing, experiencing change and new possibilities.

As we enter September, I look forward to what the next few months will bring.