Making a Move

By my count I have moved to a new residence 12 times since I graduated in college 34 years ago, and I am about to make another move from Marywood, our formation house, to the monastery. Although part of me longs for the security of staying in one place, I take comfort in knowing I am in sync with the universe, because science tells us that movement is what life is about. The universe has been unfolding for billions of years, and like the universe, I am unfinished; my story is not complete.

Physical moves are not absolutely necessary to an unfolding story, but they do introduce elements of newness—new neighbors, new surroundings, a new job, new routines—that keep us from becoming complacent. Such moves also provide deadlines for evaluating which possessions we have outgrown or no longer require so we can pass them on to others, allowing us to live more lightly on the earth.

Although moves can be stressful, tiring, and challenging, they are a sign that I am a part of what God is in the process of creating, and that is both exciting and humbling. As Ralph Abernathy said, “I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future.”