I've been thinking about pauses...

Temporary Stops 

Transitions provide perfect opportunities to temporarily stop the tempo of life and linger to contemplate perspectives gained through change.

So many times I have rejoiced over the fact that God does not leave me undeveloped and incomplete in this journey called life. He is constantly sanctifying me and moving me toward wholeness and maturity. Because of His love for me and His desire to see me grow, I can anticipate that I will be a more complete version of myself at the dawn of each and every day of my life.

During temporary pauses in my life I have found great encouragement in sunflowers.  Sunflowers keep their faces toward the luminous celestial body we call the sun. In the same way, I want to keep my face toward my "sun" - the Son of God, the luminous celestial body who rules my universe! Being conscious that He is reigning and ruling my world even during times of tremendous change soothes my soul.

Last Sunday keeping my face toward the Son was rewarded with a truth from 2 John verse 8. It says, Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. This verse warns a laborer not to lose focus at the close of the day because he risks losing what he has worked the entire day for - full compensation for all his labor.

This truth pierced my heart as snapshots of 40+ years of my own labor tumbled through my mind. The pain of recent events (the abrupt and heartbreaking close of the Center for Women with Vision) was stripped away and I was left in a state of humility before God. This is always a good place for me to find myself!

Then, my thoughts turned to the warning in this verse. I have been tempted recently to slack off, to back away, to not give 100%. After all, I am 63 years old and I am tired! I have developed and refined five start-ups over the last twenty years requiring an immense amount of work: UA College of Medicine, Phoenix with Jacque Chadwick in 1992; Women of Substance enrichment class at Scottsdale Bible Church in 1992; Prickly Perspectives, Inc., my non-profit mentoring ministry in 1999; SoulWork, LLC, a for-profit corporation selling my SoulWork curriculum in 2006; and the Center for Women with Vision at Phoenix Seminary in 2009. Maybe I have done enough? Maybe I can retire???

Lingering over this truth from 2 John since Sunday has been very good for me.

• Lingering has revealed a renewed commitment to finish well. The future is brighter!
• Lingering has deposited a fresh supply of love. I have more energy to care for others!
• Lingering has produced a renewed strength. I want to move out in faith into life once again! 
• Lingering has brought back the sparkle!

This does not mean all the questions have been answered or that all the closure needed has occurred. It means that God honors His promises to support His children during times of transition and the pauses it brings into my life. It means He is faithfully honoring His promise to care for me - His daughter - and He is bringing good out of the trials in my life. It means He knows and He understands!