The Pivot
Jeff and I are heading to Florida this afternoon. We received a gracious invitation from friends through church to join them on their week in Cape Coral. This invitation came less than 3 months ago and was a moment of pivot. We were not planning to take another vacation this year, we have only vacationed with friends once before, and I was booked for a retreat in Ohio through yesterday and would be returning home late on Sunday night. We pivoted our view of leaving for vacation from Saturday to Monday and from morning to late afternoon. Last week Wednesday the weight of my commitments began to cripple me quite literally. I was chiding myself for booking WAY too much travel (19 hours by car just between Friday and Sunday) in such a short time span. Add to this my introverted tendencies and the social obligations I was facing were glaring right at me. I was longing for an out while committed to what I had committed to, “Let your yes mean yes.” Add to this that I had roped a dear friend into this retreat with me and she had used valuable vacation time and monetary resources. Enter panic. Hello panic, I know you so well from our history together. I reached out to two trusted friends and allowed myself to be vulnerable with them, admitting my state of panic. They independently gave me their love, their acceptance of me, and their wisdom that gave me the strength to reach out to my beloved Sister in Christ, Pam. I needed to own and share my feelings about our retreat together. Pam FaceTime called me within 30 minutes and I just broke down. She listened, she asked questions, she contributed some of her own concerns about our plans, and then she left it up to me assuring me that she was okay with whatever I decided. I admit now that what I wanted was to clear my plate and cancel, but I allowed guilt to make the commitment to move forward. That night my husband spontaneously prayed over me for peace and tears filled my eyes with the beauty of his prayer for me. My dog, Zeke, picking up on my tension spent the night curled under my arm, a rare position for him. Thursday morning found me folding laundry and packing with resolution. I trusted the Lord, He would walk with me through this and I would hopefully respect my limitations in the future. My phone alerted me to a FaceTime call from Pam. Pam was calling me to excitedly and lovingly tell me that Jesus had told her in prayer to reach out and take this opportunity to receive me in my hour of great turmoil and just remove the turmoil. Pam insisted that we were meant to pivot and to shift to a weekend closer to home that could be a different type of retreat. I shared that if all else failed, my house was available as Jeff was spending the weekend at the cottage. I cannot tell you peace that Pam’s call brought, but I hope that you can imagine, and I pray that each of you reading this has been or will be similarly blessed. First and foremost just the knowledge that Jesus would break through into Pam’s prayer to meet me in my need is overwhelming, such is His love. Second, for Pam to recognize, hear, and act upon Jesus’ call filled me with such gladness because it marks such a beautiful growth in her own relationship with the Lord. Wow. Our big “P” Pivot led to many smaller “p” pivots over the weekend and the Lord was sowing a whole new field within our friendship with each other and with Him. I have received so many blessings in the past three days that my heart is full of love, gratitude, and peace. Several weeks ago we had the Gospel of the Landowner who goes out throughout the day to gather workers and at the end of the day the workers all get paid the same no matter when they started working. Fr. Adam talked of the early bird workers missing the added and true reward of getting to spend more time with the Landowner during the day, I agree and add my own inspiration. While working the harvest of the Lord, not only am I blessed with each moment spent with the Lord, I am doubly blessed by the individuals that I get to work alongside, those who are my friends in Christ. This past week really highlights that reality: from the phone-a-friends Meg and Molly, to my husband Jeff, even my dog, but most especially my Sister in Christ Pam. This upcoming Sunday we shift to the Gospel of the King who sends out invitations to the wedding of His Son. Again I am inspired by this past week and Pam’s prophetic words of [pivot]. The King sends His messengers to invite His friends and workers to the feast and receives rejection after rejection, much of the time because the individuals were so wrapped up in their own agenda’s they didn’t fully understand the grace of the invitation. Pam saw the grace of the invitation and pivoted our agenda and I am grateful. This past weekend at times did indeed feel like receiving a glimpse of the glory of heaven that awaits each of us when we accept the invitations of God. As I read through the next Sunday’s readings, several verses reach out and speak truth to my story.
“Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!” Is 25:6-10
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage. Psalm 23
“I can do all things in Him who strengthens me” Phil 4:12-14, 19-20
"The kingdom of heaven may be likeed to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.” Mt 22:1-14
I include the link to the full Sunday readings below and encourage you to sit with them and perhaps this week, do your own pivot: come up with the questions or invitations that God is sending your way, write down what He places on your heart.
