Wednesday was a long day at work--long in terms of hours spent in the office, not long in terms of being onerous. On the contrary, I liked feeling that I was solving problems and helping make the school stronger.
In the late afternoon, I got a pleasant surprise. I had been thinking about which manuscripts were out in the world and trying not to feel despair about how few are out there circulating. I checked my e-mail and found an offer to participate in the prayer project that has been one of my favorite writing assignments of the past.
I haven't been part of the project for several years, and the invitation to be part of this year's Bread for the Day made me very happy.
I try not to think about how many writing opportunities have come and gone for me: editors that have retired, publishing venues that have changed or closed--and my own time constrictions which means that I can't find other opportunities the way I might have.
So, Wednesday's invitation made me happy not only because of the invitation itself, but because it reminded me that some doors might open again.
I will be writing the prayers for January 2018. The first year, I wrote the prayers for August. For the next two years, I wrote December prayers.
I found it a bit jarring to write prayers for Advent as we moved through the season of Lent. But as an administrator, I'm often dwelling in multiple seasons: I think about the schedule for an academic term that's six months away. I plan events far off in the future. I guide faculty through documenting a past year's worth of faculty development while also planning for the coming year. I do the same thing for assessment activities.
Now I will be writing prayers for January while this past January is still in my memory--I wonder if that will affect the writing?
but bestows favor on the humble
1 year ago
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