Impromptu sabbatical

So, three weeks ago I took a Monday off after working a church leadership retreat over the weekend. I needed the day to catch up on personal business that I ordinarily would have done on the previous Saturday. One of the things on my list that day was to write a new blog post — continuing my thoughts on the cost of reconciliation and the decision-making process that is involved.

Then I was in an automobile accident. Concussion and seat belt bruises. About six hours in the trauma center. No memory whatsoever of the accident.

I took a few days to recuperate. Yet, I found that when my body seemed ready to move forward, my thought processes couldn’t quite keep up. I called it “cobwebs.” A friend termed it “clueless.” She also opined that I had always been clueless — but now I had an excuse for it.

I’ve never had this experience before. Frankly, it was frustrating to achieve some fairly simple tasks. I couldn’t quite connect the dots. Fortunately, I was surrounded by understanding family, friends, and co-workers who covered for me and, frequently, suggest that I take a little more time off.

One of the great blessings of all of this was truly grasping the concept that I’m not really in control. It was so clear that God was the one in that role. He would roll out each day for me, care for me, and allow me to recover. And the fact that his timeline for my recovery was a little longer than the one I had crafted became less of an irritant.

In this impromptu sabbatical, I found time to count blessings, enjoy people, and do “more important things.” Even now, when my anxiety over how long my to-do list is heightens, I can step back and say, “God has given me enough of everything.”

Still on my list is a return to my themed writing. But I just have to say, at least for today, that God didn’t make this the day for that to happen.