Fallow

Sabbatical time could be a "fallow" season.
Fallow is often viewed as the field laying at rest. Do no work. Leave the fields unplanted. It might be serene. Maybe former seeds volunteer to bloom. Maybe wildflowers mix with some very green weeds, but in any case, it's still a fairly pretty image.

A more realistic view of the fallow field may not be so ideal- certainly in a tropical climate. There may be a lot of ugly weeds. Some fields are grown in conditions constantly fighting back the weeds. Left to their own, they take over. The thought of kudzu comes to mind, a literal take over.
There maybe several old seeds still sprouting. Some good seed or some bad crop ideas. Some sprouts getting choked by the weeds.
It could be a total mess.
It's a fight between civilization and wild. Tamed versus unruly.

For a short time- Maybe the brambles and the vines need to stretch. Maybe irregular rain and lots of sunshine just need to reign. Maybe the weeds and the sprouts need to fight it out and let the tension release.

Sabbatical Time

I'm taking some sabbatical time this summer.
First let me say how wonderful it is that I work in a organization that allows for sabbaticals.
Second I have to say how anxious I was taking time away from work that I love. When you like what you do, it seems silly to take time away.
Last, I had a difficult time getting my head around what a sabbatical was to be for me.
Gardening offers useful metaphors. There is the Levitical command to leave the fields fallow every seventh year. There is pruning of fruit trees and vines. There is also the more extreme "burn it down and plow it under."

With a large chunk of time and adventurous family, we made a plan that put to use my anxious energy.
But being two-thirds through it, Is like sitting in the midst of a weedy field, the pile of shriveled branches and the ashes of burn.
The miracle of sabbath, is like the miracle of gardening. God sends the sun and the rain. And heck, God sent all the original seeds too. The plants grow without us. Some even better than they did with our help. We aren't nearly as productive as we think we are.

Pile of Leaves Miami Style

What the majority of the US population does in the fall, we do in the spring. We gather the limbs, palm fronds, and tropical invaders into a pile on the curb. But we don't jump into the pile and frolic. We leave it to the rhino spiders and 200 ant species that get that privilege.

Risk Love and Courage

Just as I sat slightly anxiously considering the risks today.
Today three churches are gathering together. They're mixing food (culture,) music (culture,) and party conversation (culture.) I had already dealt with the anxious thoughts of weather and attendance. This morning is gorgeous and a lot of folks are coming.
These new thoughts went to- tribal risks. What if something breaks and each tribe starts to blame the other church? What if any of the food, music, conversations start to stress those cultural understandings and cross into misunderstandings?
Oh Dear Lord.
And just as the thought formed words, the pastor introduced the "new layer of love" he has been meditating about recently. Romans 5:5.
Love is poured out into our hearts. This love grows a courage. That courage will allow three churches to gather. That love will allow three tribes to worship God in the neighborhood God placed them in. That love is God.

It is going to be a great day. Without such love, there is great risk. But today there is great courage.

Frog Hiding

We live near a lake. No surprise since really everyone in South Florida lives near some body of water or another. In our area we have frogs that get really loud at night. I don't see them but I can really hear them. I've often wondered where are they hiding. well here's one chilling in a bog lilly like its a hammock.

Surprise Pineapple Grandbaby

One year after my first, I found this beauty today. I hadn't even looked because I didn't expect another pineapple could follow so quickly. Any name suggestions?

Caught in a Private Moment