Sacred Rhythms

Blog by Gem Fadling

Alan and I (Gem) are a few days into our second annual July sabbatical. We’ve borrowed this idea from a few other friends in spiritual formation, and it’s proving to be a wonderful new pattern for us.

Some people hear about our sabbatical and wish us well. They see the importance of it. Others question how it’s even possible and whether it’s wise.

And I’ll be honest—I got a little nervous as we approached this time. I am in the middle of some big projects: a book launch, the re-launch of Replenish, and the reworking of our website, to name a few.

How can I engage rest in the middle of so many important tasks?

A sabbatical in the midst of good and fruitful work tests my belief in what Unhurried Living teaches all the way down to my core.

The following questions come from Ruth Haley Barton’s book Sacred Rhythms, and I think they are genius:

• How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?
• How has God uniquely designed me?
• What do I really want?
• How badly do I want it?
• Am I willing to rearrange my life for what my heart most wants?

I’m going to engage two of those questions here.

How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?

I desire to be the best version of myself—as close to my true self as possible. Do I do this perfectly? Absolutely not. However, engaging this question requires effort. If I want my true self to be expressed…what will that take?

Certainly, I cannot lead an organization called Unhurried Living while at the same time running myself ragged, succumbing to the siren call of ambition, and ignoring my emotional, psychological, and spiritual health.

Well, when you say it like that, it sounds obvious. And it is. But believing this to be true and doing something about it are two different things.

Am I willing to rearrange my life for what my heart most wants?

Alan and I have decided to make essential changes to our weeks, months, and years so that we can be the healthiest and most sustainable versions of ourselves. This is one of the first acts of a spiritual leader—to lead their own soul.

This means we make time for important spiritual practices as well as good and fruitful work. And we sometimes say no to amazing opportunities rather than force something from an empty cup.

Some of you might wonder what are we doing on our sabbatical? Here are the categories of our engagement:

Rest. Play. Relationships. Reading. Prayer. Unplugging. Beauty. Refilling.

To do this we had to work ahead on emails, blog posts, podcasts, and social media posts. And we had to ensure that our large projects were at an appropriate pausing point at just the right time.

To wrap up, let me say this: One huge reason we take care of ourselves this way is because of you. You are our beloved extended community. True, we don’t know most of you personally, but we are connected in a real way by the Holy Spirit.

We want to model what we teach. We desire to give you the best of what we learn and receive from God. We want to remain creative and energetic as we create content and events that will serve you as you serve others.

I say this often to my clients: You are not a machine. You are more like a flower or a tree. You are organic and require nurturing. This is true for us as well.

Reflection 

Try engaging Barton’s questions for yourself: 

• How do I want to live so I can be who I want to be?
• How has God uniquely designed me?
• What do I really want?
• How badly do I want it?
• Am I willing to rearrange my life for what my heart most wants?

Blessings to you as you continue to discern how you want to live so that you can be who you want to be. And we would love it if you would pray for us while we refill.

Photo by Azzedine Rouichi on Unsplash