built upon one another

Herring Cove Beach, Campobello Island

As stacking balance rocks, 
I assumed the most important thing is 
for the stone beneath to be flat and steady, 
strong enough to carry the weight above.
Yet I learned 

just as essential is the stone that rests on top—
how it leans, 

how it presses, 
how it gives stability back to the stone below.

So it is with human community.

Those who go before us lay a firm foundation, 

but it is also for those who follow 

with respect and reverence

to build something beautiful upon it—

so that the ground prepared is not wasted, but made fruitful.

We stand always on the gifts of the past, 
even as we shape the promise of the future.

When we stack balance rocks, 

we may think the most important task is the stone beneath—

flat, steady, and strong enough to carry the weight above.

Yet just as essential is the stone that rests on top—

how it leans, 

how it presses, 

how it steadies the one below.

So it is with life in God.

Those who have gone before us lay the foundation of faith, 

yet those who follow are called to build with respect and reverence, 

so that what was given is not wasted but fulfilled.

By God’s grace, 

we stand always on the faith of the past, 

even as we are shaping the promise of the future.

And in every stone, every life, every generation, 

God’s hand is the true builder—

holding all things together in perfect balance.

seasons of becoming

                           Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

In my teens, I let the world define who I am.
In my twenties, I tried to change the world.
In my thirties, I fought to prove myself in it.
In my forties, as the life I had built began to shift,
I discovered that the world was not out there but within me,
and I turned inward to unearth my truest self.
In my fifties, I strove to embrace myself,
both as I was and as I am.
And now, in my sixties,
I seldom find myself fighting or striving,
but living,
often at peace with who I am becoming.