Devotion: Spiritual Health is Emotional Health
Please take the time to read John 8:1-12, 30-34
Earlier this year a former colleague, cherished friend and the finest of humans passed away unexpectedly. Tim Stuart was kind, curious, brilliant, funny, humble and loyal. I miss him terribly.
One of the gifts I most treasure is having an opportunity to see the world through his eyes during his time on this earth. And since gifts become better when passed on and passed down and shared with strangers and family alike, I want to share the gift of Tim’s thoughts on “wonder” with you.
At the beginning of 2018, a few years after I had moved on from our shared employment, the HR staff requested of each employee a word to describe the upcoming year, Tim submitted….
‘I considered “faith.” As Pete Townshend put it, “faith is something bigger. Faith is something big inside of our self.” Faith that things will be better even if the state of the world tries our faith.
I considered “belief.” That is akin to faith but does differ. My friend and counselor Merriam-Webster put it this way: “A state or habit of mind in which trust or confidence is placed in some person or thing.” I enjoy believing and trusting in people and things. More often than not, they do not let me down.
I considered “endeavor.” It is what we do each day. And whether accomplishing or falling short in the task, it is the effort that fulfills. In the deed, the glory.
I considered “curiosity.” There is so much out there, from my front porch to the edge of the universe. There is a robot on Mars named Curiosity that sends home selfies. There is a recording of Chuck Berry traveling beyond the edges of the solar system. It is out there because we are curious. Will beings from Alpha Centauri enjoy rock ‘n’ roll? Will they send some of their own compositions to us?
I considered “chaos.” That sounds odd in comparison to the other candidate words, but chaos is what made us and our world. It makes for the changes that both please and frighten us. But there is also a strange order in chaos, an order that can be predictable. Let’s be brave and take chances and explore the unknown, but let’s be careful about reconstituting dinosaurs for entertainment purposes.
I settled on “wonder.” Back to friend and counselor Merriam-Webster. “Rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one’s experience.”
When living in the more temperate climate of the east coast, I stepped outside one evening and noticed a garden slug perched on a tree limb. It was secreting a trail of slime down towards the ground. (I know, kind of icky.) Observing further, I saw that it was providing a rescue line to its mate, which had tumbled to the surface six feet below. I am in awe of that to this day. Those tiny creatures; having a difficult day but coping with it. (By the way, I did give them a helping hand in their endeavor.)
Really “wonder” sums up all of the other candidate words. I have faith and belief that we will emerge from the discord that divides people. Curiosity will lead to a better understanding between people. I will endeavor to help in that. Chaos may rule but there is always an ordered result of chaos. Oh, the wonder of it all.’
Good, Gracious and Generous God – Thank you for the gift of friends and friendships that help us see your world from different perspectives. And as we endeavor to continually improve our spiritual health, help us to live wonder filled lives by making the time to stand in awe of everything – and everyone – you have created. Oh, the wonder of it all!
P.S. Thank you for letting my path cross Tim Stuart’s in this lifetime.
Amen
Written by Dacia Kruse
Dacia lives in Lincoln and was married in October. She is a lobbyist and mediator through The Mediation Center where she primarily works with parents who are separating and trying to figure out how to co-parent their kids.
She has been a member of Sheridan since the late 1990’s. She regularly attends Lunch Table Theology and serves on a Saturday evening hospitality team, the Sunday morning Welcome Center team and as a Wedding Coordinator. In her free time, she likes to read, travel, shop and decorate her house.