Cultivating “Yikes” Moments

Several weeks ago, on the eve of Epiphany (January 6th), I texted a life-long mentor/friend/colleague in ministry, with one of my epiphanies for the year, thus far.  I wrote, “Some of the seminarians currently in school right now were born in 2000 and 2001.  Yikes!”  

The fall of 2001 is when my husband and HSHC co-founder, Travis, and I started our studies at Princeton Theological Seminary… the year some of the current students were born.  Where had the time gone?

My friend responded by saying, “And Happy Epiphany (Eve) to you!  “Yikes!” is the appropriate response to life’s epiphanies.  It captures the wonder and worry, the awe and apprehension, which accompany the beam of new understanding in one’s head and heart…”

As mentioned in the introduction to this newsletter, this year, we will be examining some of the “pressures points” in our lives.  This will be centered on the pressures to be – perfect, popular, and productive – and how all of these can cause us stress, potential health problems, and decreased wellbeing.  More specifically, our quarterly newsletters, Summer Series (June 30 – July 21st), and other educational opportunities will all be focused around this theme.

In addition to investigating each of these “pressures,” we will also provide some (hopefully) helpful strategies to respond to them in a more healthful manner.  For example, in each of our newsletters, we will provide information about a variety of spiritual practices that can help to offset the negative impact that “pressure points” can have on our lives.

It is our hope that, through bringing about awareness about these pressures and pausing for reflection through the various spiritual disciplines, God will provide us some “Yikes” moments – opportunities to see what is in front of us this year with new understanding in our heads and hearts.

We hope you will join us… but no pressure. 🙂

May all be well,

Rev. Dr. Karen Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” – Isaiah 60:1 NRSVUE

“Lightening Up” Expectations 

With the holiday season close upon us, it’s natural for our stress levels to start to rise.  Why does this happen in such a predictable pattern every year?  Perhaps, in part, it’s the expectations we set for ourselves and others.  We may make it our mission to set the perfect table, find the cutest photos for holiday cards, create boxes filled with homemade goodies, or find the perfect gifts for everyone on our list.  

Or perhaps some of our stress and expectations fall along relational lines.  We expect the headstrong child to return home for the holidays, estranged relatives to reconcile, and neighbors to get along.

However, I would like to encourage you to reflect upon your holiday expectations (or other expectations that you are wrestling with right now) and consider whether you can lighten any of them up.  I know for me, my “middle-aging” body has forced me to reflect on some of my personal expectations.

In September, I ran the Berlin marathon—a goal which took two years of planning.  First, my goal was to qualify and, second, to run under my target time.  

Did I meet my expectations?  Yes and no.

Yes, I qualified for the 2023 Berlin marathon. 

Yes, I completed it within my target time.

No, I did not expect that now, almost two months later, I would need to completely stop running (something I have not done in more than fifteen years other than an occasional week here or there) to give my body time to heal.

While slowing down has certainly been challenging, it has also shed some new light on my holiday and future expectations.  As we head into this holiday season, I have been reminded that:

• Some expectations we set are realistic, and some are not.
• Sometimes, there is a cost to meeting ours or others’ expectations.
• Sometimes, expectations will be met, but perhaps not within the timeframe we initially set or in the way we envision.

So…how do we deal with this tension between planning for anticipated outcomes and accepting reality as it unfolds?

Scripture speaks of Jesus as the light of the world (John 8:12).  When we, as disciples, walk in the light, we gain increasing clarity about who and what  to center our lives around: Jesus and Love.  

In this season when daylight doesn’t last as long as we would like, we can set aside more time to soak in the light of God’s word.  Doing so will help us shine Christ’s light and love and establish healthier expectations of what that looks like in practical terms.  

It will also give us a sacred space in which to recharge during this busy season.  We are told not to cover our light under a bushel basket, but this does not mean our light has to be “always on.”  Seeking activities that replenish rather than drain our energy may translate into paring down your holiday feast to give yourself more time to spend with family.  For me, slowing down has enabled me to be gentler on myself and others when we don’t meet my expectations. 

So this season, when you sense your spirit tiring, why not respond to God’s open invitation to walk and talk out in the sunshine (of course, for those of us living in colder climates, this may mean throwing on another layer or two!)? This activity is doubly beneficial because spending time in the physical light (sunshine) also improves our health in multiple ways.  For us humans, light is essential for healthy bones, mental wellbeing, immune and neuromuscular function, glucose regulation, and decreasing some forms of cancer and other diseases.

In addition, spending time in nature gives us the opportunity to connect with plants, which need sunshine as much as we do.  In plants, light generates food (photosynthesis), creates new growth cycles, and promotes healthier development.  Being outside also reminds us how connected we are to all of creation and gives our own body a chance to relax. 

As counterintuitive as it might feel at first, the next time you’re overwhelmed by expectations (like the endless to-do list), I want to encourage you to pause and plug into the various sources of life-giving light that are all around you. 

To learn some more tips and strategies for establishing and nurturing healthier expectations, we have provided a few resources in the “Health Highlight” section of our newsletter. 

May the light of Christ shine upon you this holiday and into the new year,

Karen Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

*Photo Credit: Canva

Unearthed Understanding

Last month, Travis and I spent a week at my family’s cabin near Lake Tahoe, California.  As we planned the trip, we realized how curious we both were to see how much things had changed since last summer (when California was in a severe drought) versus this summer (after a very wet and snowy winter, particularly at Lake Tahoe!).  As we expected…everything was lush and green.  However, the wildflowers were unlike anything we had ever seen before, in some cases, literally!  

Intrigued, I found myself asking – how is it possible, after spending 45+ years of my life going to our cabin, that I have never seen something as remarkable and/or painful looking as the “Sierra Gooseberry” or as tasty as a “Thimble Berry” (yes, they are safe to eat!).  And what caused a guy with a large machete (no joke!) to wander by our cabin and chop down some “Woolly Mullein,” plants which I hadn’t paid much attention to in the past?  What was going on? 

After a little investigation, I discovered that I hadn’t noticed these plants before due to a combination of factors.  Yes, last winter’s significant precipitation played a part.  However, it was more the fact that in the fall of 2021, the National Forest Service thinned out a significant number of trees around our cabin as a fire precaution.  While fewer trees definitely increased the amount of sunlight around our cabin, the biggest reason these plants had “suddenly appeared” was that the soil had been disturbed by the logging trucks. 

It turns out that – Sierra Gooseberry, Thimbleberry, Bull Thistle and Wooly Mullein – all prefer, and in many instances thrive in, soil that has been disturbed.

What can this “disturbed” soil teach us about faith? 

Over the last several years, the farming and home gardening communities have increasingly focused on not disturbing soil, because disturbing soil disrupts its structure, decreases its carbon content, and accelerates erosion, among other challenges.  [To learn more, click here.*]

However, in this instance, was the movement of the soil around our cabin good or bad?  Both.

The soil stirred up around our cabin by the logging trucks caused beneficial plants like the Sierra Gooseberry and Thimbleberry (both nutrient dense for humans and good for pollinators) as well as Bull Thistle and Wooly Mullein (both invasive weeds) to surface.

How often in our lives of discipleship does the soil of our faith (the foundation of our spiritual growth) get disturbed by life circumstances causing both “beneficial plants” (new opportunities, relationships, jobs, etc.) and/or “invasive weeds” (illness, grief, death, loss, etc.) to spring up? 

When faced with this, how are we to respond?

We may be tempted to blame God or others, when unwelcome events invade our lives.  However, Job 5:6 reminds us: “Misery does not come from the earth, nor does trouble sprout from the ground.” (NRSVUE).  Job 5:8-9 gives us a course of action for times when desperate circumstances appear from out of nowhere: “If I were in your shoes, I’d go straight to God, I’d throw myself on the mercy of God.  After all, he’s famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to his surprises.” (The Message).

In our “disturbed” moments, it is important for us to keep a wide perspective, to see both the good and the bad, and to patiently watch for the movement of the Holy Spirit and the “new growth” it will produce. 

Reflection Questions:

• What is “disturbing” your spiritual soil right now?
• Rather than judging the soil (or yourself) as good or bad, ask yourself (with compassion):  What has helped or hurt my spiritual growth this year?
• What are some ways you can be more intentional about tending to your spiritual soil (both now and in the weeks to come)?

Peace,

Karen Webster

HSHC co-founder and executive director

*Note: this article discusses the overall benefit of the no-till method for our country and the world within the context of Pennsylvania farming practices.