Sabbatical

Sabbatical |se’badek(e)l, adj

1. of the sabbath

Sabbath |sab’eth, n

1. sanctified, to set apart as holy

Over the years many people have asked me why we call our time away each fall a sabbatical and not a vacation. While it has certainly been a learning experience about who we are and about life in other cultures, I have never thought of these travels as a vacation. After eleven years of being away from home for the months of September, October and November, I have come to realize that fall is our sabbatical season. When I think of it from nature’s perspective it seems fitting that this would be our time of travel.

I love the fall. It usually follows a busy summer and something about the changing season with its slower pace reminds me that a season of rest is needed. Even creation knows this. Falls is a time of preparation for rebirth. The trees begin to shed their leaves to make themselves heartier for the upcoming season, squirrels store their acorns for the winter and even bears prepare for a season of prolonged rest. Indeed, reminders of the perfect Sabbath.

As I grow older I think I am more acutely aware of the changes of the seasons in my own life. My Aunt Nancy passed away while we were gone and she was the last of her generation. I am now part of the older generation. The time has gone by so quickly, like the sands in an hourglass, seemingly full for the longest time and then suddenly nearly gone. To be honest, there are times when I find myself struggling with these changes. There are so many things left that I want to do and experience. I am reminded of the words from the poem Desiderata. To take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth as I yearn to be graceful in transitioning from one season unto the next. These times of Sabbath give me the time to prayerfully work through these feelings and I find a peace and balance that allow me to be thankful for His goodness to me in whatever season I am in. I am at peace when I rest with a thankful heart.

We are home now.  Traveling the way we did fills my gypsy heart with joy. I have found exquisite delight in the unexpected. I loved meeting new people and listening to their stories. I treasure the freeness within my soul as I open myself up for adventure. I have loved this sacred time with my husband. I had the best time with our dearest friends. I love the threads that are the tapestry of my life. Each adventure and place that we travel adds a new thread and dimension and I am reminded that His work in me and for me is not finished yet. I have seized the day.

Carpe Diem…