My mom gave me the book Gift from the Sea by Anne Lindbergh years ago. I usually read it in the summer while at the beach. Yet this week I decided to pick up the calming, quick read, to nourish myself with some of the nuggets of wisdom in it.

As I read through the final chapter there was a line that really captured my soul that I wanted to share with you. It read,

“Here on the island I have had space. Paradoxically, in this limited area, space has been forced upon me.”

This made me pause as we have all been put on our islands during this pandemic. In our limited areas, space has been forced upon us. This insight lead to me the question, “how am I using this space we have been given?”

Am I using it to be and learn from this space forced upon us?

Am I numbing myself in this space in some way?

Am I filling the space?

Am I serving just myself in this space, or others too?

Am I using this space wisely?

I share this with you today, as you sit on your island, and I on mine. I invite you to join me to...

pause. breathe. pray.

May we take note, without judgement, of how we have been using this space. And ask ourselves, “when we look back on this time, will we we wish would have used it the same, or differently?” Then may we take the insight the answer to that question provides and step into this new day, into the space we’ve been given, and use it wisely.

With love and hope,
Shawn

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise.” - Ephesians 5:15