Third Week of Lent

There are times in our life when we, like the fig tree, feel called to lay fallow. When we have been giving so much of ourselves, that our actual being becomes thin and wearied, and we don't have the emotional and spiritual resources to offer to our family, our friends, much less the strangers that God sends our way. That is when it is time to take a step back, to take a break from the busyness for refreshment and renewal. At certain times, this fallow period may be as short as a weekend retreat, and at other times it may mean stepping away from a ministry for an extended period of time before renewing engagement. We all need a break sometimes. It is so hard to give ourselves permission to take these breaks, to stop moving so quickly through our lives. But this time away from busyness can be incredibly valuable. In taking a step back and sorting through the manure there are vital nutrients that revitalize and renew us.

I can talk the talk, but I am not so good at living into this spiritual practice of laying fallow. I want to be involved! I want to get my hands dirty and do ministry. It is a really hard discipline, when the time comes, to sit back and contemplate where God might be calling me. Throughout my life, I have found that at times instead of deciding to take a step back, this period of laying fallow has been imposed upon me. Perhaps it is God's hand nudging me to slow down, take a break and prepare for the next step on my journey.

But when we do take that time to sit still, to be quiet and listen for God, when we do breathe those even, deep breaths of centeredness and peace, it can be an incredible time of preparation and renewal. In those quiet spaces, we may finally be able to hear God calling us into new directions in our lives and in our work in the world. In this busy world, in our busy lives the stillness and quiet can be very alluring, but we are not meant to linger in this fallow space forever. If we remain there we can become part of the manure, rather than becoming the rich fruit God desires us to be. We are meant to move on from that space and reconnect, reengage. The stillness restores our energy reserves and prepares us to go out and offer our gifts to the world.

Be open to being still, laying fallow, that you may bear luscious fruit for God to offer the world.

The Rev'd Elizabeth Shows Caffey