Considering the "given life"

and an exciting announcement.

Aug 02, 2026

Midsummer greetings to you! Happy August!

Welcome to those who are new around here, thank you for opening up your inbox to me. May you find hope and encouragement for your everyday life here at A Capacity for Wings.

You can listen here if you prefer that to reading.

0:00

-9:53

One of my favourite times of the year in my yard has arrived. The linden tree is in bloom and the air is heavy with its scent. Every time I open the windows in the house, I breathe deeply its perfume. At the same time the raspberries– one of my favourite fruits– are ripe for the picking. Years ago, I was tempted to dig up the raspberry bushes–I was tired of picking for weeks on end–but now I am so glad I left them. That was during the days when my schedule was over-full with child-rearing, work, and caring for ailing in-laws. It was a time when those few weeks of raspberry picking were enough to send me over the edge into overwhelm. Maybe you find yourself in a similar state right now. Perhaps you do need to remove that one thing that seems to tip the scale into “too much” or perhaps you can wait it out knowing that this season is not forever.

In whatever state you are in, may you grow in your capacity to offer yourself grace and compassion.

BIRD UPDATE

A chickadee fledgling arrived at our feeder in early July. This is the feeder with the built-in solar camera. The chickadee was captured on film in all of its unfinished disarray. I learned that it only takes 14-18 days for this bird to go from naked and blind to leaving the nest. A miracle that happens over and over again that we mostly don’t see. The bird I saw looked very dishevelled somewhat like me when I first wake up with hair sticking up in every direction. On this little bird it’s an adorable look, on me, not so much!

THE GIVEN LIFE

In the past couple of essays here at A Capacity for Wings, I have been talking about the given life (a phrase from the writings of Wendell Berry). I have been wondering if we are missing the joys of our lives because we are not living within what is given to us now. We may be living in the past or living for some future reality and miss the goodness right before us. Those of us who have been around for any length of time know, life does not always go as we planned and perhaps that is a gift, maybe a severe mercy. As Wendell Berry has said, “We live the given life, and not the planned.” May we live it fully.

Here are some more thoughts on this idea. First some words from Henri Nouwen,

“To start seeing that the many events of our day, week, or year are not in the way of our search for a full life but are rather the way to it is a real experience of conversion. We discover that cleaning and cooking, writing letters and doing profession work, visiting people and caring for others, are not a series of random events that prevent us from realizing our deepest self. These natural, daily activities contain within them some transforming power that changes how we live.”

I think too of a short story I read a few years ago by J.R.R. Tolkien called “Leaf by Niggle”. It is a story about an artist who was working on his life’s work, who kept getting interrupted mostly by Mr. Parish, his neighbor. Mr. Parish had a lame leg and often needed Niggle’s help. Niggle was a kind-hearted soul and had difficulty saying no when others expressed a need, so he often left his work to help his neighbor. When he looks back from the future, he sees that “some of the most beautiful–the most characteristic, the most perfect examples of Niggle style–were seen to have been produced in collaboration with Mr. Parish; there was no other way of putting it.” This short story beautifully illustrates how life’s interruptions, and our everyday ordinary lives are in fact where our life’s work lies.

Here is a video that speaks to this concept.

What have you been given in these days?

How are you accepting or resisting the life that is yours for today?

These seem like good questions to be asking ourselves on the regular.

Again, some words from Henri Nouwen, “Something very deep and mysterious, very holy and sacred, is taking place in our lives right where we are, and the more attentive we become the more we will begin to see and hear it.”

I have had a very busy week and find myself all out of sorts and I can’t help but wonder if the reason is that I have not been attentive to my actual life. I have not taken time to journal as I usually do, where I can reflect on what I experienced and how I felt, where I saw God at work, and when I acted out of my best still-being-redeemed-nature and where I didn’t.

I wonder how do you pay attention to your life? I would love to hear.

What’s been given

A season of flourishing delphiniums

Some almost as tall as me.

A month of record rainfall

And awe-inspiring storms.

Rain that flattened said delphiniums

and drowned the potted petunias.

Nourishing friendships

A trip to the mountains and sea

worries over grown kids

and still recovering from PTSD.

Squirrel antics

bug-free evenings on the screened-in porch

very little writing progress

and obituaries that hit close to home.

This is what has been given for this time.

I rejoice and I grieve

I am delighted and I am afraid.

And today I give thanks

for the life I have been given.

Some of the items I have listed above definitely fall into the category of everyday wonders, others reflect the complexity of this beautiful and terrible life. All of it belongs, there is a time for everything, and we are never alone.

NEWS RELEASE

I have exciting news to share – my book is available for pre-order!!! Words of Light in the Dark releases on January 12, 2027, but you can order today and give your future self a New Year’s gift.

You can find it here:

Amazon Canada

Amazon USA

Target

Words of Light in the Dark was born in the darkness of the hardest year of my life. When despair came closest, I was writing about the unstoppable light. As Ann Voskamp has said, “...there is a Light that shatters the dark. A. Light. the darkness can never extinguish it... the darkness can never, ever, no matter what, suffocate the relentless coming of an emancipating Light.” I found this to be true. These words bloomed in the dark and helped me in it. I hope they will be a kind companion during your dark days.

The blurb on Amazon says:

“With white text on black pages, this striking devotional embodies a deep spiritual truth: God’s light shines brightest in the dark.

Life doesn’t always feel clear or easy. Yet even in the shadows, His presence remains. Words of Light in the Dark offers gentle encouragement and Scripture-rooted wisdom to guide your heart back to that hope. Each reflection is paired with simple practices and journaling questions to help you release worries and anxiety and draw near to the God who faithfully walks with you through every unknown. Inside, you’ll find . . .

· 90 honest devotions that meet you where you are—even in hard-to-pray moments
· Scripture passages that bring peace and strength into difficult seasons
· Guided prompts to open your heart to a Savior who waits, weeps, and stays with you
· Special dark mode design with white words on black pages for a more immersive and easier reading experience
· A distinctive book to turn to for peace or to share as a gift of comfort

This isn’t about pretending the dark doesn’t exist. It’s about noticing God’s light right in the middle of it, steadying each step. Let these pages remind you: You are not alone”

Preorders make a difference, they help the publisher know how many books to print based on early interest. I believe there is good nourishment for people within these pages and I hope you will order one for yourself and at least one to give away to a friend.

Thanks for being here,.

Here’s to embracing the life we have been given,