The Next Small Step

One of the great gifts of returning from a sabbatical is realizing just how much there is to be grateful for. I am especially grateful to Christ Church for making a month-long sabbatical possible for staff after five years of service. I was blessed to have this time from July 27 through August 23 – a gift not simply of rest, but of stepping away from ordinary rhythms, noticing, wondering, and listening for God in ways that can be difficult to hear when life is full. I return refreshed and deeply grateful for this community and the ministry we share.

One of the most memorable moments of my sabbatical happened during a weekend trip to Holden Beach. At least 74 mama turtles have come ashore there this season to lay their eggs. On my last night, I joined a friend who volunteers with the Holden Beach Turtle Patrol and four other volunteers at one of the marked nests. After gently sweeping and raking the sand around the nest (to ensure a smooth path to the sea), the assignment was to sit, wait, and watch. We didn't know when – or even if – the nest would open that night. Just as the sun set, we noticed the smallest drop in the sand. Within moments, the nest began to “boil” – the Turtle Patrol's term for more than 15 baby turtles emerging from a nest at once. Suddenly, I became the official “turtle counter.” Within the hour, 47 baby turtles had emerged from the nest.

Sea turtles have been hatching this way for millions of years. Each one, about the size of an Oreo on legs, instinctively made its way toward the sea. We couldn't make the turtles emerge and we didn’t need to show them where to go. We could simply pay attention, recognize what was happening, and make the journey a little easier. I have thought about that night ever since. How often is God already at work around us – quietly and faithfully – long before we notice? Perhaps our role is sometimes simply to pay attention, recognize what is emerging, and help clear the path.

Sabbatical gave me a chance to do some of that paying attention in my own life. I was reminded that not every season is a season for doing. Some seasons are for resting, watching, listening, and allowing God to bring something new into the light. And then, eventually, there comes a time to emerge – to step into the light and become fully present to the life unfolding around us.

As I return to the formational work of Christ Church, I am grateful for the sabbatical that made that kind of attentiveness possible – and grateful for all of you who make this such a meaningful community to return to. Perhaps this is a season for you, too, to step a little further in: through worship leadership by singing in the choir, through Bible studies and formation, or through ministries of outreach and service. You don't have to know exactly where you belong or have everything figured out. Sometimes we simply have to take the next small step, trusting that we will recognize the way when we see it. Those 47 little turtles didn't know what the journey ahead would hold. They simply emerged, instinctively turning toward the reflections of the moonlight on the sea. Perhaps we can trust that, as we step into whatever comes next, we too will find our way toward the light that leads us home.