Centennial Park early winter morning light
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. (Matt 9:9)
Such simple words, yet profound. A life changed from self-determined accumulation of wealth and things, to a life of trusting God in the person of Jesus, a life lived by faith.
What sustains us on this faith walk, as we respond to the 'follow me' Jesus brings our way through the work of the Holy Spirit? What feeds our soul as we move along this way?
One of the things I do in the following, and as I seek to encourage others to keep following, is to appreciate nature. We are very blessed on this East side of the isthmus with an endless variety of morning light conditions and the interplay of clouds on that light. Getting outdoors helps to balance the time I spend in indoor conversations and sedentary activities of varying intensities.
Another thing is that all Presbyterian ministers are required to engage in supervision. This is neither counseling nor mentoring, but has shades of both. It is a safe space with a confidential supervisor to whom you can literally say anything about your ministry role and how it relates to your life. I tend to keep it regular. My intermittent weeks of study leave this year are contributing to a qualification in supervision, so in the future I can give back in the same way I have received. Just this week I met with my first supervisee! A great privilege to journey with others in ministry.
What do you find sustains you on the journey of following Jesus? If your tank has run dry, take steps to refill it. "...but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)