The Halfway Mark

By Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman

It’s not the messy middle! For me, it’s the beautiful middle. As I approach the halfway point of my sabbatical, the word that best describes this moment is gratitude. In six weeks, I have volunteered for the end of the year field day, taken my Girl Scouts on an overnight to Carowinds, led the science portion of Girl Scout Day camp, seen my niece graduate from high school, been on vacation with my in-laws in Tennessee, celebrated my parents’ 47th anniversary with them, dropped my best girl off at Camp Grier, spent five days alone in Asheville to read, pray, and walk, and celebrated Independence Day at home with my family and friends. I’ve also ridden more roller coasters than I can count! I’ve interviewed church leaders in 4 different states, been to worship in 3 states, and read 3 of the books on my sabbatical reading list. Plus, my house is clean, and I’m always up to date on my laundry. 

If it sounds busy, it has been, but there have also been hours and hours of abundant time, when I can write and read and walk. And nap! I have taken a few naps. I was surprised when I pulled into Montreat to hike up Lookout to see that it was the music conference week. Coming down the mountain, a text to Zach revealed that he was there and that I was just in time for worship and lunch at his house with his friends. My week in Asheville alone was one of abundance, to just pick up and go wherever I felt like God was leading me next, and Montreat worship was such an unexpected gift. So that’s my second word: abundance. God has been so generous with me during this meaningful time.

The second half of my time will be less busy, as I travel to Summerville for an extended visit with my parents, stay at home for a couple weeks, and take a family vacation before Clara heads back to school. I also have more interviews and worship visits, and I’ll take the last week to compile that information into some practical takeaways for the church.

I’m grateful to be present with my folks as my dad recovers from Achilles’ tendon surgery and my mom continues to care for her own mother. This is the final word that comes to mind for this time: present. I uninstalled social media from my phone and made a promise to be present, and what a gift it has been to notice the world around me. I was walking the botanical gardens in Asheville last week, and I looked up at the sky, silently thanking God for the beauty and magic of time and presence, and I felt God say to me, so strongly, to stop looking up. Look around, the Spirit seemed to say. Be present where you are.

So for the next six weeks, I’ll be looking around, finding the ways that God is speaking to me in my everyday life. I can feel the turning in my soul, too, back to SMPC–the vocation and the people I love so much. I’m so excited to share with you what I’ve learned (and will have learned) in my time away! 

SMPC Note: Rebecca will return from her three-month sabbatical on Monday, August 25, 2024. Until then, we continue to keep Rebecca, Rafael and Clara in our prayers! Enjoy these photos that Rebecca has shared with us!