Those who have read the Magicians Nephew by CS Lewis, will recognise the wood between the worlds as the place that travellers pass through on their way from one world to another.
That’s more or less where I am living at the moment.
My worlds are my former role as Executive Director for Wycliffe Bible Translators and my future one as Director of Strategic Initiatives for Global Connections and the wood between them is called a sabbatical.
It’s a strange place to be and I’m not convinced that I like it.
It is a privilege to have time to study and to write; the problem is that I’ve got a lot of things to read and even more to write, so I actually feel under a fair bit of pressure, which I don’t think is the idea. I’m also having to learn to read for academic purposes, rather than just reading for my own enjoyment and enlightenment. Taking time to make notes on the books I read and to make sure that I can find them again goes against both my personality and years of academic inactivity. It’s a hard lesson to learn over again (especially at my advanced age).
However, the thing that I’m struggling with most is stepping away from leadership in Wycliffe. For twenty years or so, I’ve been attending workshops and conferences around the world. I enjoyed some of the conferences and I always enjoyed bumping into friends in exotic places. I sometimes wish I had more friends who lived just around the corner, but I love the fact that I have friends from all around the world. It’s wonderful to see posts on Facebook from people I know and care about as they get together for some meetings on the other side of the world; but it hurts that I’m not there with them.
I know that this is where I am supposed to be at the moment. I’m moving in to another stage of life; one that will involve far less long-distance travel. This is the right thing to do, but it isn’t easy.
When we first went out to Africa in 1988, it felt like a huge sacrifice; leaving friends and family for an uncertain future. Twenty six years later, it feels very similar as I resign myself to working in the UK.
I’m sure that things will improve when I finally get my teeth into my new job; but for the moment, I feel rather homesick. Which is odd, because I’m living and working from home.
27 replies on “The Wood Between the Worlds”
Thank your for your honesty Eddie. I can identify in many ways. It brings to mind many things which have been written about finding our home in Christ. Making that a reality is the tricky bit!
Feel free to pop up and stay with us for a few days if you want a break from your break
Yes, it is sometimes hard to believe that there is life on the other side. What if you jump in a pool and it comes out on the backside of the moon….? It might feel like that no matter where you surface. The things we were good at, we no longer do. And yet, nothing happens by chance. So we learn…
Intervarsity has great materials and coaching for Sabbaticals
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Wherever we are here is only a wood between the worlds 🙂
Sounds like you are beginning to grieve! And we can identify although we are still on the African continent next summer we will be packing up and moving back to the U.S. We haven’t been in Africa as long–about 20 years. But the same process–grieving what we have had, friends we have made, and now moving on to the next stage. You hit the nail on the head and appreciate your honesty. it’s not easy being in this stage of life! Oh and Milton is writing his dissertation and hopes to finish this week! Hasn’t been easy, not easy at all for some of the same reasons as you have stated. I hope he writes about the experience and how he turned it into times of concentrated prayer and worship!
Yes, I can identify with a lot of that! And “Taking time to make notes on the books I read and to make sure that I can find them again” brings back memories of my MA – happy memories now that it’s well over!
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🙁 Change is never easy…
That’s where I was in 2010 for a while – named my newsletter after it!
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When I had to give up work I had no idea what God had lined up for me
We obey God and he is responsible for the outcomes!
Beware of the “Neevil”!
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Hope you are able to jump into the next pool soon!
We’re here too… Let’s meet up…
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