Life is spinning ‘round.
The ground beneath me wobbles..
I cannot sustain.
Take me to Your palm.
Put me in Your back pocket.
I travel with You.
Hem me on all sides.
You are in the lint and crumbs.
Hold me in motion.
In many ways, I cannot believe we have entered September, welcoming the autumn rhythm and our 2026-2027 season. In other ways, my spirit wondered, “How long, Lord?”
As creation offers different seasons, so does life. The past 6-9 months has been a season unto its own for me as I am truly “middle age”. A friend recently described it in a new way for me.
When we are middle age, we find ourselves ‘in the middle of it’ like never before.
If you have a partner, your relationship is in a new stage. A new era of discovery in how to relate to yourself, and to one another.
If you are forging a single life, you are finding new ways to navigate those waters.
If you have children, chances are they are launched into life (or will be soon), and yet, you continue to parent them, but in new and yet to be explored ways – a bit of flying by the seat of your pants.
If your parents are still this side of heaven, they are likely aging, and with that, their health is declining, and with that, you are in a new kind of caregiver role with them – another bit of flying by the seat of your pants.
And as you grow closer to the typical retirement age, you may be wondering, “Have I reached where I thought I would in my life yet? What might I have missed? What might I still be longing for?
What is my invitation?
These last four months have brought me firmly into the throes of each of these, and as I’ve found myself living out of a suitcase more than a closet – being on the move more than stationary. My sense of disorientation and being a bit unmoored has taken my face in its hands and said, “This is not sustainable. Let’s talk.”
As I listened, moving gradually from what was on the surface to the deeper question within, I knew, I needed to find a way to make my sense of grounding and stability more portable. The elements of “being in the middle of it” weren’t going to slow down for me. I needed to make the adjustments.
And while there is much to unpack there, I will say this, I am undeniably grateful for the Journey Center Great Lakes community, much of which is portable through the gifted part of technology. While I’ve asked the Holy One to put me in Their back pocket, I have also taken you in mine. Our hope at JCGL is that you will bring us in your back pocket (or whatever pocket is available) and take us along on your spiritual journey. We are better together.
