This week I enjoyed learning alongside colleagues at an annual conference of school administrators. Principal El was one of the highlights for me, as he shared many stories and lessons learned from his time as a principal in urban Philadelphia. Following his keynote, he sought me out for a picture because he couldn’t understand how a person with “San Francisco” on his name tag could “get” so many of his Philly references throughout his talk…..the picture made me smile on many fronts, so I need to follow up with that colleague to ask for a digital copy. I invite you to go ahead and check out Principal El when you can.

I am happy to share this brief reflection on “Discernment” as well. I often find myself doing some of my most thorough reflection during this season of Lent, and so I encourage us to take to heart Vinita Hampton Wright’s questions below. Blessings on your week ahead!

Last week I listened to an excellent podcast from one of my regulars in the podcast rotation, We Can Do Hard Things. Actor Dan Levy provided funny, insightful commentary on the topic of “No One Knows What They’re Doing.” I felt relieved once I heard the title of the show:) In particular, I welcomed Dan’s reflective insights into grief; Dan stated, “Grief is not about resolution, it’s about loving your way through it.”

This morning I was pleased to read the below Lenten reflection in my inbox. I’m on a red eye flight tomorrow to spend time with family and also travel for work throughout the week ahead. I hope this excerpt grounds me, and you, in the importance of taking the time for reflection in the midst of all the business. Blessings on your week ahead!

“Letting This Lent Be God’s” 
by Marina Berzins McCoy

A Lent of following God’s lead must be grounded in prayer. We can listen for the voice of God and let ourselves be surprised by what the call in Lent might be. Perhaps we not only contribute to our paper rice bowls with alms for the poor, but also feel God calling us to undertake service work where we build relationships with a community of people outside our comfortable social circles. Or maybe fasting this year means not only the obligatory fasts, but also fasting from judgment when I do not know the inner workings of another’s heart. Perhaps God is calling me to add in a different form of prayer: a few minutes of silence on my lunch break at work, or praying as a family just before the children are tucked into bed.

Or perhaps we will feel the call of God out of the blue in Lent to follow God into some new place. Are we open to letting this Lent be God’s and not our own?

Tomorrow I head out for a three-day leadership development program, one of my favorite workshops to help facilitate. A reflection exercise that we have planned is a self-inventory of gifts and preferences. I think reflective practice is essential to healthy, self-aware leadership. Playing to strengths is also helpful.

From this reflection I pulled the below quote from one of my inspirations, Dorothy Day, to share. She challenges us to prioritize our efforts to those most in need, as God invites us to do. Enjoy and blessings on your week ahead!

A Call to Action: Dorothy Day

“What we would like to do is change the world–make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And, by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute–the rights of the worthy and the unworthy poor, in other words–we can, to a certain extent, change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as our friend.”

Our puppy Bingo met her first frisbee yesterday. This unidentified flying object, lying dormant in our backyard, evoked great fear and trepidation on the part of our 16 week old Labrador Retriever. Yet within minutes, once she felt more familiar and safe, Bingo eagerly embraced the frisbee among the collection of toys that occupy her time (and her teething mouth!) while outside.

Bingo’s reaction reminded me of our common primal response to surprise, especially that which might impact our well-being. Fear and anxiety may abound, yet with time, trust and relationships, newness can become known and can feel comfortable. I am leaning into some significant change management at work and so I take this lesson from Bingo to heart. And of course, my home life is a series of constant change management given the lives of our teens/pre-teens. God is good with life’s lessons everywhere…when I pay attention.

I am pleased to share this poem below that I came across earlier this week. It supports my own understanding of “Belonging,” and I especially appreciate the notion of “roundtabling.” May we each embrace this invitation to “roundtable” in our own communities. Enjoy and blessings on your week ahead!

From “In Search of a Roundtable” (1977)

For God has called a People,
not ‘them and us’
‘Them and us’ are unable to gather around,
for at a roundtable, there are no sides
And ALL are invited to wholeness and to food. …

Roundtabling means no preferred seating,
no first & last, 
no better, 
no corners for ‘the least of these’
Roundtabling means being with,
a part of, 
together, 
and one
It means room for the Spirit and gifts
and disturbing profound peace for all.

And it is we in the present
who are mixing and kneading the dough for the future.
We can no longer prepare for the past. …

—Chuck Lathrop