Opening

This morning the first words out of my mouth were "stupid bitch". Yeah, there's walking the path of peace and love, hey? I was only talking to my alarm clock, and I guess the thing is probably used to it. But gee whiz, I was already down juju with awakening consciousness.

My vacation is over. It's time to work again, and for a religious educator that means we make our little plans with the hours carved out for reflection and exercise and family time and, hell for personal hygiene, but what really happens is we sprint through the days overwhelmed with curriculum prep, supply closet nightmares, volunteer management heroics and somewhere in there; formation of amazing ministry to families. Hours at the office morph into hours at the coffee shop, a laptop at the soccer field, internet research as the pasta boils and phone hours from dawn to way past dusk.

But it's OK. By the time the leaves turn things settle way down. And the rhythm is good. Busy, calm. Verdant, fallow. Harried and well groomed!

And I love my work. Yesterday it was so very good to be back. I got to tell a story for all ages and because I really do feel like Eeyore with the rain cloud I handed them all little cocktail umbrellas. It is, after all, my job to give them life umbrellas so when things rain, they have some place to keep warm and dry.

And I got to lead music because we're a small group and things just so happened that everyone we know who can play the hymns on piano was not able to be with us; so I got to play my guitar and I was almost acceptable. But there was so much love between the chords that didn't quite hit right that it was OK. It really was. And when I'm up there being acceptable and not perfect, well it lets us all be good enough just as is.

And I let a huge gaggle of kids go downstairs with an RE Council member who hadn't led a class before with only a few Middle School helpers. I just trusted all would be fine, and it was.

I really do love my job.

The minister I serve with asked me to light the chalice yesterday in honor of our shared ministry. What an honor. This whole gig, what an honor it is! What an honor.

And now my daily planner says "Go for a walk on the path" so I'd better do what it says. I'm already down juju for the day.