An Advent reflection: Sometimes we must allow things to fall away
By Tee Bolin
I am in a season of “falling away.” It started sometime in the busyness of October with a simple noticing. When the leaves fell from the trees I was able to see light reflect on things that were not visible just a few weeks prior.
This created space.
Even in the bleakest of days when there was no sunlight, the bare trees were drawing me to connection – inviting me to contemplate something that was always there but I just could not see.
It is the same invitation we experience in the season of Advent. Advent is always there but sometimes we must allow some things to fall away so that we can focus on the hope, the light, the love and the peace of Advent. It is an intentional season to see with not just our eyes but with our body and soul, to disconnect from some of the busyness and allow ourselves to connect to our Creator and to our purpose. To simply allow our hearts to quicken to the expectation of what is to come and what we are to be.
This season of “falling away” culminated this week in the birth of my third grandson. Yes, we have been expecting him for a while but when the call came that it “was time” everything else just fell away. My entire focus and my entire being was brought to bear on the arrival of this third grandchild. All my seeing was now being processed through the excitement of my heart as I held this precious bundle for the first time on a Thanksgiving afternoon. I was thankful for all the hands that had cared for him as well as my daughter who had given birth to him but I also noticed myself being thankful for a new focus.
I was now focused on the child, and not just my grandchild. But the child that invites us into this holy season of Advent.
May we all journey to let the falling away continue to bring into focus the nativity of Christ and the return of Christ in the world that is to come. May each of us find sacred time, sacred space, and sacred listening to bring ourselves fully into this season. Amen!
This reflection was written by Tee Bolin.
A businesswoman by necessity and a spiritual director by grace, Tee is a graduate of the Perkins Certification of Spiritual Direction program. She is also serves as a spiritual direction supervisor. Tee is blessed to remain connected to Perkins through recurring opportunities as a small group leader and teacher with new student cohorts. Tee resides in the small community of Antioch, Arkansas, about 40 minutes outside of Little Rock, on a small farm with her horses and dogs.
When She is not working in Little Rock or on the farm, she is usually traveling to join her husband Michael, who is an ordained elder in the United Methodist church. Michael and Tee have one daughter, Cheyann, who is a part-time local pastor. Cheyann is married to Jason. In addition to finding time for Bo and spiritual direction, Tee likes to ride motorcycles with her husband and spend time in Costa Rica. And perhaps most present this year - Tee is a grandmother of three!
Send Tee a note!
As an interfaith community, Retreat House Spirituality Center will explore sacred stories from community partners this holiday season as we embrace and honor our core value of cross-pollination. We’ll hear from various individuals celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. How do you see the light, feel the light when darkness seems to abound? How do you connect with the light? What does the light connect you to? How do you find God in all of this? Yourself? These are a few of the questions we’ll explore. Interested in writing for us? Send us a note!