Transitions — Portals — and a Slower Kind of Useful

Posted on August 6, 2011 by a moment with god — Leave a comment

walking around Kapiolani Park

Good Morning, God!

Aaaah! A wonderful Surprise Retirement dinner last night! A room filled with friends saying good-bye. A marvelous memory to close a long and fruitful second career. Thank You, God!

I chose this photo to evoke the sense of going on through a “portal” — even as the path continues to wind around.

And last night’s dinner was a “portal” of sorts celebrating the five of us retiring from the committee. I had 14 wonderful years of sort of “being in charge” of a lovely library . . . working with the BEST of PEOPLE. And aren’t book lovers the very best of people, God?

What a privilege it has been to work with so many dearly beloved friends and companions on all the voluminous tasks involved in keeping a library humming along. Many of those friends have moved on to be with You, God. I hope You have “useful things” for them to be working on Up There.

For I do believe that “being useful” is one of the chief joys of life. Life here and Life in the Hereafter.

When I was young — and maybe even when I was old, too — I thought being useful meant being busy. But, now I know (when it doesn’t slip my mind) that useful is very often best done slowly. It takes time to hear people into speaking from their hearts. It can’t be hurried or rushed. It takes time to build relationships — walking together — hearing and being heard as we walk along.

Thank You, God, for hearing me — hearing us — for helping with a word or insight, now and then. Thank You for the Path of Life Going On . . . for New Turns and New Directions. For the Future AND the Past, Thank YOU!