"Go peacefully about your way"

I have a squirrel named Mama. Every day at 4:30 pm she comes bouncing up the lawn, gives me a happy glance, and waits for me to drop a few peanuts on the ground. With gusto, she pulls up next to me, crunches away, then goes off to bury her stash for a future time when she might have to forage.

When I see Mama hopping across the lawn, I think of my younger self and smile. I think of the adventures I had on the road, moving across many states, driving with the windows down or jetting from one city to another to run a discernment retreat, attend a conference, meet a discerner, or visit one of our convents and rally the troops. I think of the excitement of building my vocation team, planning events, creating adventures, and getting involved with NRVC. I think about the friends I’ve made along the way and the deep conversations shared at vocation booths, coffee counters, and workshops.

I often pause and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunities and encounters that have reshaped my limited understanding of what God was busy doing in and around me, and at times, despite me.

As my little Mama squirrel comes close and gives me a fleeting glance, I am caught up in the beauty of noticing God noticing me. As a new vocation director, in the flurry of activity, I often missed those little “glances” and glimpses of God noticing me. I looked for affirmation from my community, and while I was well-received, there were still days I felt lost and disconnected. I am so grateful for my more experienced sisters who seemed eager to hear about my adventures and promised to pray for me and for the service I gave. They noticed me, and their support gave me wings.

I’ve heard it said that if a squirrel trusts you, it will eat with its back toward you or even lie flat out on the ground, showing its vulnerability. My little Mama does that. When I think about the discerners I’ve journeyed with, I am reminded of how vulnerable they made themselves in my presence, the trust we built as we continued to meet and share, and the sacred stories that have been entrusted to me over these many years in vocation and formation ministry. This is also a reminder to my younger self, and my present self, that accompaniment takes time, patience, perseverance, respect, and most of all, prayer and deep listening. I’ve learned by watching Mama that for every nut she savors, she goes and buries six more, making sure that when the harsh winter comes, she will be well prepared. It’s a great lesson in good stewardship.

If I could go back and offer one message to my younger self, I would say: go peacefully about your way. You don’t have to do everything at once. Savor the moments and enjoy life as it unfolds, but always be prepared for the winters that come. Remember where your Treasure is, for there your heart will be also!

By Sister Michele Vincent Fisher, CSFN