[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://jacciturner.wordpress.com/wp-..." data-large-file="https://jacciturner.wordpress.com/wp-..." tabindex="0" role="button" src="https://jacciturner.wordpress.com/wp-..." alt="" class="wp-image-3242" />

Today I was discouraged as I was trying to upload a book to Ingram Spark, and it was not working. I felt myself sinking into despair. Then a Facebook memory came up reminding me it has been ten years since I was asked to leave a ministry I had given my adult life to, because of my commitment to the LGBTQIA family.

A decade! I decided it was time to pause and process this nodal event. Too often I (dare I say “we”) skim along the surface of life neglecting to pause and process important moments. As I looked back on that time, I journaled about the friends I lost, those I’ve gained, the jobs I’ve had, and the eight books I’ve written. I wrote about the things I’ve learned, the places I’ve gone, and the healing that has happened.

What started as a grumpy morning turned into an exercise in perspective. This thing with Ingram is so small in the grand scope of things. The book will eventually get put up. I will learn how to successfully upload books. It doesn’t really matter.

What matters is how we grow through the hard things. How we love and support each other through life that is packed full of loss and joy. So much loss and so much joy.

I have no bitterness now about being asked to leave. I have many dear friends who never left me. I have a wonderful small group that I think of as my church. I have a broader ministry than the one I had before through writing, spiritual direction training, and leading retreats. My life is rich and deep.

This meme came across my feed today and felt very appropriate. Our detours can be an upgrade!

If you’re interested in more about how I navigated that time in my life, most of it is in my book Tumbled People: Deconstructing and Reconstructing Your Faith.

I’d love to hear about how your detours have become upgrades. And don’t forget to take time to pause and process. We are in a historically important time, and it all feels urgent and intense. But in the grand scope of things, taking a few moments to gain perspective can change your outlook on life and help you move forward.

Photo at top by Matthew Montrone on Pexels.com