Rest, Relax, and be Renewed.

By Sr. Judy Donohue, SC Federation Temporary Professed

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One of my jobs at the Forest Springs Health Campus is to water the plants in the Physical Therapy Courtyard. I came to work Monday morning after a particularly hot and humid weekend, the heat had gotten the best of the flowering baskets. They looked completely dehydrated with little hope for revival. The leaves were crinkled, the flowers were dried up, and I thought my boss was going to yell at me for letting them go. I decided to go ahead and water them anyway. The next day they looked fabulous, they looked like new. WOW! The leaves filled out, the flowers came back to life. Like the flowers, my spirit sometimes gets dehydrated and I need the Living Water to bring me back to life. Taking a break refreshes my Spirit. In June, I had the privilege of attending a retreat at Milford’s Jesuit Retreat Spiritual Center. I met daily with a Spiritual Director, walked the grounds, read my books, met the other 13 retreatants, drew Mandalas, attended Mass, prayed the Labyrinth, went to Reconciliation and enjoyed eating in silence at meals with the others. I put no pressure on myself to get things done. What freedom in just being. How freeing it is to enjoy the day in living in the now.

Flowering basket before and after watering

I also had the privilege of going to Camp Maria during our Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and Associates Vacation Week, July 2-10. I am awed at how much better I feel for taking a break. Being in the quiet has enlightened me to slow down. Retreat has challenged me to see the societal pressure to be busy is not the best way to live or be in relationship.

Being counter cultural is so much a strength in my understanding of Religious Life: To be a witness in a simple lifestyle when others are continually collecting things, to take a break when others are on the fast track, to stop and help others when it is an inconvenience. Personally to go slow is not my normal mode of operation. I want to move. Yet, it is in resting that I am restored.

Thank God for the Call to the annual retreat and the opportunity to take a vacation. Let us take time this summer to rest in God, have fun and be Re-vitalized to carry Jesus’ love to those in our ministries and communities. Having this time of renewal has prepared me for my Renewal of Vows on July 19. Thanks for your prayers and support as I continue on this journey to explore and live God’s love with others in helping the poor.