Unfamiliar Quitness
May was surprisingly quiet.
After the engagements with Terre des Hommes and the children's programs, YATTA entered a slower season. We held our Monthly Members' Meeting, and for the first time, the newly elected officers presided over the gathering. It was a significant moment, not because of any major event, but because it marked the beginning of a new chapter for the organization.
As I watched them take on their new responsibilities, I felt both grateful and uncertain.
For so long, I had been used to serving as an officer. My schedule revolved around meetings, planning sessions, projects, and community work. Leadership had become part of my routine. Then suddenly, it wasn't.
The organization continued moving forward, but my role within it had changed.
At first, the feeling was difficult to describe. It was not sadness, nor was it frustration. It felt more like adjustment. There were moments when I wondered where I belonged now that I was no longer carrying the same responsibilities. Perhaps I had simply become so accustomed to constant work that stillness felt unfamiliar.
Yet in that unfamiliarity, God was creating space.
For the first time in a long while, I found myself with vacant hours. Instead of filling them immediately with another commitment, I allowed myself to experience them. I spent time walking, sometimes for two hours a day. These walks became moments of reflection, gratitude, and presence.
There was no agenda.
No project to finish.
No report to submit.
No meeting to prepare for.
Only the simple invitation to be where I was.
Looking back, I realize how rare that felt.
The slower pace also allowed me to appreciate the transition happening within YATTA. Rather than worrying about what was ending, I began noticing what was beginning. New officers were stepping into leadership. New perspectives were emerging. New ideas were taking shape as preparations for the AYTF Residency started to unfold.
It reminded me that service is never about one person.
The spirit of service continues because there are always people willing to answer the call. I found myself grateful for the young people who continue offering their time, energy, and creativity to the community. I was grateful for the elders who remain supportive and encouraging. Most of all, I was grateful that YATTA's mission was larger than any individual role.
Perhaps that was one of God's quiet lessons for me this month.
Sometimes we become so identified with our work that we forget who we are without it.
For years, I balanced responsibilities across multiple organizations. Productivity became normal. Busyness became familiar. But May gently reminded me that I am more than my commitments.
I am more than my tasks.
I am more than my titles.
And perhaps God wanted me to rediscover that.
Psalm 46:10 says,
"Be still, and know that I am God."
For much of my life, I have understood the importance of serving. But this month taught me something equally important: the value of stillness. Not every season is meant for building, leading, or producing. Some seasons are meant for breathing, listening, and simply being present.
Looking back, May taught me that rest is not the absence of purpose. Sometimes rest is part of God's purpose itself. Through the transition of leadership, the quietness of the month, and the gift of having time for myself again, I learned that God's presence is not found only in the work we accomplish, but also in the moments when we finally allow ourselves to stop and simply receive His grace.
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