dwelling in life boats

what's saving my life right now

Welcome to Dunham Dwells, where we explore the awkward mid-twenties, books, art, and connection. I’m glad you’re here.

Hi, chickadee.

Life is hard and a little upside down for me right now, and that means it’s about time to look around and take stock. Here’s the concept, introduced to us by a smart priest somewhere in Alabama, c/o Barbara Brown Taylor in her book An Altar in the World.* She writes,

Many years ago now, a wise old priest invited me to come speak at his church in Alabama. “What do you want me to talk about?” I asked him.

“Come tell us what is saving your life right now,” he answered. It was as if he had swept his arm across a dusty table and brushed all the formal china to the ground. I did not have to try to say correct things that were true for everyone. I did not have to use theological language that conformed to the historical teachings of the church. All I had to do was figure out what my life depended on. All I had to do was figure out how I stayed as close to that reality as I could, and then find out some way to talk about it that helped my listeners figure out those same things for themselves.

In many ways, this is a practice for finding God in your life. After all, if God is our life-force, the creator of our bodies and what makes them tick, then the things that are keeping us alive must be more or less directly from God.

While I am no Barbara Brown Taylor, I hope that my little list brings you a taste of light, laughter and hope.

What’s Saving My Life Right Now

1. The Frozen II soundtrack. My taste in music tends toward the melancholy and darkly emotional, which hasn’t helped my current upside-down, life-is-hard funk. I never thought Disney music would make this list but here we are. “Into the Unknown” is my current life anthem and Olaf (with his song, “When I’m Older”) continues to be just the best.

2. Hot tea & calling my mother. Always. I think this will always be on the list.

3. Stupid Little Walks™. I think Sarah Bessey calls them this. You know, when you’re tired but haven’t done anything all day and you know a little movement will probably fix you up but you’re tired so you drag yourself off the couch and pull your shoes on and open the door like it’s the hardest thing you’ve ever been asked to do ever, and then by the time you’ve reached the turn-around you feel a little more loose and the sky doesn’t seem quite so heavy and maybe you can cook yourself a little dinner after all. Life saver.

4. Apple juice. Honestly, nothing fancy, but occasionally I’ll get something like this that reminds me of being a kid and it just hits the spot. A couple months ago it was chocolate pudding cups that saved my life while we were moving into the yurt.

5. Springtime weather. Part of me is sad that it is so spring-like in early March but part of me absolutely loves the feeling of a hopeful 55 degrees. You know the difference between a fall-into-winter 50 degrees that feels more like a biting, windy 45, and a winter-into-spring 55 degrees with an easy breeze that feels like 60, full of hope and sunshine? Yeah. My shoulders relaxed just thinking about it.

6. Friends. Not the show – my actual friends. Unfortunately in this season my best friends are far away, and I always manage to forget how much I need my sisters until I get on the phone and talk to them and always feel 200% better afterward.

I hope you’ll share something from your own list, with yourself, me, or your own life-saving friends. Until next time,

Love,

Amy

* An Altar in the World is BBT’s answer to this question and she answers it in such beautiful ways, including “The Practice of Wearing Skin,” and “The Practice of Carrying Water,” and “The Practice of Getting Lost.” It’s such a good and lovely work and I suggest it if you need some encouragement today for being human right where you are.