“Everything that appears as a ‘limit’ — incapacity, illness, old age, suffering, vulnerability — tends to be seen primarily as a defect to be corrected, rather than as a reality through which our humanity matures and opens itself to relationship.”
– Pope Leo XIV
Ten years ago, I bought my wife “really nice” deck furniture for her birthday. The problem with really nice deck furniture is that if you don’t put the really nice cushions away when it rains, after a few summer thunderstorms, the really nice cushions don’t stay really nice.
For years, I have searched for replacement cushions that would fit the space and not cost an arm and a leg. The result has been purchasing multiple sets of really discounted cushions that either felt like you were sitting on a tissue or fell apart even faster. This Memorial Day, we were resolved to not only buy another set of really nice cushions, but also protect them at all costs.
I’m writing this right before Labor Day from said cushions, sitting on them for only the second time. We enjoyed them the night we bought them in May, and then it rained, which prompted me to put them in the garage. When I had the desire to enjoy my backyard during the summer months, the journey to the garage to carry all six cushions—or even two—was too much. Then we went on vacation. Then it looked overcast, and I got nervous. You get the drift.
Even while sitting on the cushions, all I can think about is how annoying it will be to put them back in the garage. I also can’t help but think: What else in my life and leadership am I trying to protect from getting ruined and, in the process, never enjoy or let be what it was meant to be? What difference do the stains of mistakes or challenges make if I keep things hidden away? How do I balance proper care and stewardship without falling into the trap of laziness or fear? Even with my relationships, what do I keep packed away to avoid the work of bringing it out or because I’m afraid to make a mess?
“Just get an outdoor container or a cover for the cushions,” you say? If I made this much about cushions, imagine how in-depth that process will be!
As we begin this new week, let’s not be afraid to put ourselves out there, even if, from time to time, we get a little damp and worn.
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