Author: Carissa A. Kane

Carissa A. Kanehttps://hopethatfloats.wordpress.comI am passionate about spirituality and the journey to deepen and grow in relationship with God. My desire to live a life rooted in the Divine, and to journey with others who wish to do so, has grown, as have I, through the joys and sorrows, the struggles, victories and challenges of life. I feel blessed to be a child of God, wife, mother, writer, spiritual director, and retreat director.
Carissa A. Kane's avatar

It is not fair…thank God!

At times, it can be easy to be lured into a false sense of security….enticed to be surface-centered…tricked into thinking that value and uniqueness lay in external things rather than in substance and being. Almost constantly challenged and urged to move faster, to be first, to be best, always to be and do more. We are surrounded by rapid change and quick-fire solutions many of which make things different, but not necessarily better.

In the midst of all the flux though, certain truths remain the same. For starters, life is not fair. We can try to understand, but we never really know all the reasons why things work out the way they do. Most often, though, there are hidden or unexpected gifts in the things that do not go as hoped for or planned.

Around the time of my college graduation, I was not sure what I wanted to do. I had no job lined up. I planned to take the summer off. In the weeks that followed graduation, almost every day I would go for a run. One day as I was jogging I decided I was going to enter the Army. Soon after, I took a test and filled out paper work. I felt very strongly that being in the Army was for me and would be good for me. I felt so excited for what might lay ahead. I had a vision of all that could be…a path to follow. Then, I received a call notifying me that for a medical reason, I could not enter the Army. I felt extremely disappointed, and once again I had no idea what I was going to do.

A few months later, though, I got an entry level job at a company for which one of my brothers-in-law worked. I worked on the 9th floor with eyes toward being on the 10th floor or above. Those were the floors with more prestigious jobs.

There I was on the 9th floor with a number of other recent grads and people close to my age. As time progressed, there was a group of us who started to go to lunch together, and sometimes to happy hours on Friday nights. Wanting to be in the Army became a distant memory and was replaced with a new desire to rise to the top. I had a new path, or so I thought. Meanwhile, from within that lunch bunch and happy hour gang, I would gain a fantasy football team partner. One with whom I shared laughter and had lively discussions over the course of the football season and the months that followed. Little did I know, I had met my soulmate. I was not looking for one. It just happened, and when it did, I chose a new path.

When I think back to how it all unfolded, I feel amazed that it all started with life being unfair. Then I realize, more often than not, it ends up being glorious beyond compare.

“In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God.” – St. John of the Cross

DaffodilCAK

 

Connections; Key Along the Way…

ConnectionsTree

Ezekiel connected dem dry bones,
Ezekiel connected dem dry bones,
Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones,
Now hear the word of the Lord.

Toe bone connected to the foot bone
Foot bone connected to the heel bone
Heel bone connected to the ankle bone
Ankle bone connected to the shin bone
Shin bone connected to the knee bone
Knee bone connected to the thigh bone
Thigh bone connected to the hip bone
Hip bone connected to the back bone
Back bone connected to the shoulder bone
Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone
Neck bone connected to the head bone
Now hear the word of the Lord.

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around.
Now hear the word of the Lord.

—“Dem Bones” by James Weldon Johnson

Connections are vital for all living things. Our connections to people, places, and things often have great impact on our decisions and choices as we journey through life. Sometimes this can be a good thing, leading us to greater union with the Divine. Other times it can be a bad thing, pulling us away or clouding our vision from that which would lead us closer to God.

Whether someone of great experience or someone just starting out on her or his spiritual journey, like Ezekiel, we can all find ourselves in a valley of dry bones. It can be within us or around us. No matter how advanced we are—or we might think we are—if we are being honest, none of us are immune.

What exactly are dry bones? To me, dry bones are bones that cease to be aware or to be open to experiencing or learning something new. Dry bones shut out and close down. But dry bones are not hopeless or beyond repair. The choice is theirs.

It is only through slowing down and taking a closer look that we are able discover which connections are helpful and healthy, which might require some work, and which ones may be faulty or have become blocked and are no longer life-giving. None of this is possible though, without the most important part, listening, and the most important connection, “Now hear the word of the Lord.”

Bones full of life, rooted and strengthened or renewed in God, remain hopeful, see possibility, and recognize importance in both the big and the small. Bones full of life know that no connection is wasted and that each one holds something sacred. “Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk around!”

*The above is adapted from a post that I wrote for Spiritual Directors International’s blog and that was published on April 20.

 

 

To the Earth…

The glory of God is constantly in our midst. It is there in so many ways. Sometimes we are aware of it and sometimes we are not. As Earth Day (April 22) approaches, look around in the days to come. Bathe in the splendor of the earth. No matter where you are or how busy you might be, take time, even if just a moment or two, to seek and embrace the beauty of creation. Let joy spring from within and wash over you as you receive the glory of God; a gift to each of us, God’s beloved.

In celebration and honor of Earth Day, thanks be to God.

1SwanLake

2SnowCoveredTreesAtSunset

3Sunrise

4RockWashing

5DaffodilClose

6CrookedBranchTree

7Clouds

8MoonRising

9SnowOnHollyBush

10NiagaraBridge

11NiagaraRainbow

12Fall

13BAliveTrees

13MountainCross

14WhiteMountains

15OceanShimmer

16Sunset

 

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light,

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.

For yourself, best gift divine,
to the world so freely given,
agent of God’s grand design:
peace on earth and joy in heaven.

Written by Folliott Sandford Pierpoint

Feed…Tend…Feed…

It is interesting to look at what goes on around us today through the lens of what transpired long ago. In one of his appearances after the Resurrection, the third time he appears to his disciples, Jesus has an interaction with Peter that affectively provides a bridge for Peter from his 3 denials of knowing Jesus to him fully embracing his role as a leader. (John 21:1-19)

Jesus says to Peter three times, “Do you love me?” When Peter answers each time in the affirmative, Jesus responds, “Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” and “Feed my sheep” respectively.

Jesus says, “Feed my lambs,” not “count them.”

Everywhere we go, we are numbered. We are given an identification number at birth or at a young age, a driver’s license number, a student ID number, a medical record number, etc. Numbers are all around us. How much, though, do numbers interfere with our spiritual life? There is another scripture passage where Jesus says, “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). It seems, as with most matters, quality or substance (“gathered in my name”) outweighs quantity. We can all probably point to an experience(s) in our lives where our heart was moved and our attention captured by what was going on more than the dollars or the ticker counts. We live in a world where it can be tempting, a lot of the time, to focus on numbers or quantity over substance. Yet, time and time again, we can see examples throughout history that show us that numbers without substance (authentic, engaging and varied), usually become a passing fad rather than everlasting. Jesus says, “Feed my lambs,” not “count them.”

Jesus says, “Tend my sheep,” not “corral them.”

How do I take care of that which I have been given? According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the word “tend” is “to move, direct, or develop one’s course in a particular direction.” If we are to take the example of Jesus and the call to discipleship, to tend His sheep would be to move, lead, or develop them in the direction of God. This is not the same thing as “corralling” (to gather into a pen or enclosure for confinement or capturing). We are not called to all line-up, speak the same, look the same, act the same, and to be the same. To “tend” is to nurture and to allow room to grow into one’s true self. Tending can be accomplished in countless ways. I have only to look at my experiences tending and being tended to, to see that there is more than one way, time or place to “tend.” Jesus says, “Tend my sheep,” not “corral them.”

Jesus says, “Feed my sheep,” not “shear them.”

Jesus uses the word “feed” again, emphasizing the importance of “feeding” which is an act of providing…providing for the benefit, development, sustenance, and well-being of. There are many sheep in the fold and Jesus instructs Peter, a second time, to provide for them…not to take from them. As the shepherd feeds the sheep, guides them, and protects them, the sheep grow strong and healthy. Their wool grows thick and is plentiful. If the shepherd continually shears the sheep, neglecting to properly feed and tend them as well, the wool becomes thinner and thinner, until it is gone. Jesus says, “Feed my sheep,” not “shear them.”

LakeMassapoag2

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.” ― Mother Teresa

Without doubt, does seeing really lead to believing?

“I won’t believe it until I see it.” While society has taken the disciple Thomas and uses him as an example of what not to be like. One has to stop and think about the fact that the scripture passage in which Thomas says, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” reveals so much more than “don’t be a doubting Thomas.”

The disciples are locked away in the upper room, but Thomas isn’t with them when Jesus appears. This suggests that Thomas had to have some level of courage and faith to have left the safety of the upper room where they had all been hiding out of fear.

Also, given all of the circumstances, it seems reasonable that Thomas, or anyone in his shoes, would question or have a hard time believing that Jesus appeared. Scripture states that Jesus showed his hands and his side to the disciples who were there in the upper room. This is curious. The other disciples had the benefit of not only seeing Jesus, but also seeing proof that it was really Jesus. Thomas did not have either. Jesus showed the disciples his hands and his side without them asking for proof. In essence, they are no different than Thomas, they did not believe without seeing either.

I cannot help but wonder if this passage would even be in the Bible if Thomas was not honest about his doubt, and instead responded, “How wonderful!” when the disciples told him that Jesus appeared to them. Thomas’ honesty is striking. He did not hide his doubt, but instead he was truthful, he made himself vulnerable, and gave voice to it.

As a result, look at what happens. Jesus appears again, a week later, to the disciples, including Thomas. While Jesus speaks about believing without seeing, He is not mad at Thomas and doesn’t kick him out of the “posse” for his doubt. Instead, Jesus meets Thomas where he is and gives him what he needs to believe and to trust. Jesus reveals the truth directly to him. Had Thomas denied or hidden his doubt…had he not given voice to it, the outcome would have been much different. Thomas would not have shared the experience of the Risen Lord in the upper room.

So, does seeing really lead to believing? No, but experience does.

“The key to wisdom is this – constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.” – Peter Abelard, philosopher and theologian

Doubting_Thomas_By_Guercino
Doubting Thomas by Guercino

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

-John 20:19-31

May’s Way…

It is interesting how people come into our lives who, at times, remind us of those who went before us. A number of years ago, I recall feeling amazed one day as I realized how many women named Mary had recently come into my life. It was as if a whole army of warm, welcoming, faith-filled Marys were suddenly in my life. They were from different walks of life, but all named Mary, and all of them brought a smile, wisdom and a sense of peace with them.

As I sat in awe with this realization, tears came to my eyes and I thought of my Auntie May, named Mary at birth. The first Mary I ever knew and loved with all of my heart. She was a fixture of love from as far back as I can remember…gentle and faith-filled.

Auntie May…I can still see her beautiful face and hear her wise, calming voice. “Hi doll,” together with an embrace that felt so warm and loving. I can still see her beautiful fingers. She would take my hand and hold it between hers as we exchanged greetings. I could feel the love and care in her hands, the same hands that made such wonderful food—kibbe, cinnamon twists, and so much more.

I remember sitting, as a young child and as I grew in age, listening to her and the other adults speak. She spoke with such clarity and with a passion for all that is right and just, for all that is good and true. She was so knowledgeable, but at the same time so down to earth. She was a very interesting person, not to mention her sense of humor; and though she was gentle, she could be stern, too. She knew when to speak softly and when to speak more firmly and with greater conviction. She had such an amazing spirit…striking…so nurturing and life giving.

Auntie May, and all the Marys who followed, reminding me of all that was and all that is. It is fascinating how God sends people into our lives to help us or challenge us, as well as for us to help…sometimes simply by being ourselves.

There is a saying that the best thing one can do is to be one’s true self. That is, as one becomes more and more authentic, she or he makes a difference simply by being. There is an energy or a vibe, when being true to oneself, that extends without effort as we go about day to day activities.

As layers are peeled back and one uncovers or moves closer to her or his true self, we are summoned or we gravitate toward our true calling or vocation(s) within our life and within each situation. Connected to that call, to the source of that call, and continuing to remain faithful to it, the energy or the spirit remains, flowing through and radiating out with benefit for all with whom we interact.

So, while my Auntie May, may have been different things to different people throughout her life, she was true to herself and the love, spirit and energy that she brought to each thing she did and each role she fulfilled, remained the same. What was even more special was that she realized it was not hers to keep and that it could only continue by her letting go and letting flow as she went about her way.

A_White_Chrysanthemum

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” – St. Catherine of Siena

 

A Regular Joe…

Joseph, the carpenter, faithful servant of the Lord, took Mary into his home as his wife and named his son Jesus.

Joseph, faithful servant of the Lord, took Mary and Jesus and fled to Egypt in the middle of the night, remaining there until the appointed time then returning to Nazareth.

Joseph, faithful servant of the Lord, husband of Mary, the mother of God, earthly father of Jesus, the Son of God, lived his faith.

Joseph, faithful servant of the Lord, did all that was spoken to him by the Angel of God.

St. Joseph, the patron Saint of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants, and a happy death. We do not know much about St. Joseph. Not knowing much though is intriguing, because Joseph could be any of us—a “regular Joe” capable through his faith and God’s grace of facing the challenges of his life and the times in which he lived.

Perhaps, the best place to start though is with what we do know about St. Joseph. We know that he was a carpenter (MT 13:54-55). However, according to scholars the Greek word “Tekton” would have been used to describe Joseph, meaning that he was a craftsman or contractor; someone very skilled at working with wood, stones, and metals. It is also likely that he traveled quite a bit to seek work.

We also know from Bible verses, that St. Joseph was a husband (the husband of Mary the Blessed Virgin) and he was the “foster” or earthly father of Jesus. These two pieces of information, along with the fact that he was a working class man not only make St. Joseph relatable, but they also suggest he was a person of great faith, courage and wisdom. Think about it…the husband of Mary, the mother of God, and the earthly father of Jesus, the son of God.

From the passages in the Bible, we can also see ways that Joseph’s life and his choices exemplify those of someone striving to be faithful to God. We know that he had dreams in which he was visited by an Angel of God telling him to not be afraid to marry Mary (that she had conceived by the Holy Spirit), a dream to flee to Egypt, and then to return from Egypt. We know that Joseph listened, trusted and did as the Angel of God instructed in each case – Joseph married Mary, named his son Jesus, fled to Egypt, and later returned to Nazareth in Galilee all upon the instruction of the Angel of the Lord in dreams.

We can also see wisdom in the spiritual work of mercy exhibited by Joseph in bearing patience against wrongdoing or perceived wrongdoing. Mary, his betrothed, is found to be pregnant, yet they had not had any relations yet. We can only imagine what Joseph’s first thoughts to this news were. I doubt anyone would have trouble understanding if he was livid and decided to leave Mary. Also in that day and time in history, it would have been well within societal expectations for Mary to be stoned to death. Yet, here we have Joseph, deciding to quietly divorce Mary, not wanting her to be harmed. Despite what must have seemed and felt like a “betrayal,” he saw it in his heart, to show mercy and compassion. Joseph’s response, even before a visitation from the Angel of God, is remarkable and seems one only possible by someone very prayerful and inspired by God.

It leaves one to wonder, how am I able to show mercy when I am wronged? How am I able to be patient and to persevere? How can I, how can we, use St. Joseph as a model?

In each of the situations described in Scripture, Joseph dies unto himself, sacrifices and cooperates with God’s will. He shows openness to and focus on God’s will at each point. He was able to survive and make it through difficult and challenging circumstances such as the journey to Bethlehem with an expecting Mary. The journey to Bethlehem would not have been an easy one. Then there is the impending birth of Jesus with nowhere to stay, the flight to Egypt, the journey back to Nazareth and beyond.

How can we have the faith and patience of Joseph? How can we, like Joseph, recognize and accept that things happen in God’s time, not according to our time, and to remember that God is faithful to those who are faithful to God? Do I remind myself of the ways that God has been faithful to and patient with me along my journey so far? Do I allow past experiences to help me to remain patient and faithful, and to continue to trust in God and in God’s timing?

Joseph wasn’t given explicit plans or an outline of all that would happen in the dreams he had. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2, we are told that Jesus is laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. We are also told at the presentation of Jesus in the temple that Simeon tells Mary and Joseph that Jesus would be glory for God’s people and that Mary’s heart would be pierced. It then says, “The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.” Joseph and Mary didn’t know all that was going to happen.

When we look at Joseph, he was just given a basic directive in his dreams…take Mary as your wife…flee to Egypt. He listened and let God lead him. He had faith in God, faith that we can only assume grew with each event in his life and most especially through the birth of Jesus and all that transpired in the time after his birth.

Martin Luther King said, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” That’s the hard part, the “not knowing.” If we knew all the details of what was going to happen, it might be very easy to be patient, to let go of wrongdoings and to trust in God and in God’s plan.

Faith…trusting even when we cannot see the next step…trusting that it will be there when it is time to take that step. Waiting until it is there, taking direction from God and acting once the step appears and the way is made clear. St. Joseph, from what we know of him, did all of this.

It is more likely than not, especially at that time in history, as a father, Joseph not only provided for and protected his family, but also led his family in the observance of prayer and religious custom. We read in Scripture, “Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom.” (Lk 2:41)

With what we know of Joseph, it is not a stretch to imagine him as a very prayerful person.

For Joseph, the beginning of the journey that would lead him to emerge fully into who God created him to be and to fulfill his part in God’s plan, started with a dream, or a desire, long before the first dream, he had and that we read about in the Bible. The journey started with him saying “Yes” to letting God lead him, and continuing to say “Yes”, letting God continue to lead him all along the way. How can I, how can we, do the same?

StJosephJoseph the Carpenter rendered by Georges de La Tour

Throwing Stones…

Stones

“Let the one among you who is without sin,
be the first to throw a stone at her.” – John 8:7

In the world in which we live, the above Bible verse has come to mean, to many people, it is not Christ-like to criticize wrongdoing. Is that interpretation accurate though? Is that really how Christ lived and taught? Is it true?

It is interesting how the truth is often twisted and how, throughout history, the truth, and speakers of the truth, have often been frowned upon. In the Gospel passage of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11), Jesus, champion of truth, honesty and integrity, is put in a position where the authorities (the scribes and Pharisees) are looking for a reason to “take him down” so to speak. They see Jesus as a threat. If the truth becomes known…if their manipulation and ways of holding down and misleading the faithful become known, the faithful will no longer support them and their authority will fade away. This possibility makes them focus even more on trying to suppress or manipulate the truth. They are not open to anything other than efforts to hold onto their kingdom, no matter how that might affect the faithful.

While the scribes and Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus into going against Mosaic law, so that they can arrest him and eventually do away with him, Jesus turns the tables on them. Jesus knows that their motivation is self-serving; they are not concerned about the spiritual well-being of the woman they have brought before Jesus. They are using her, and Mosaic law, to try to get what they want. They are not pointing to the law for the purpose of which the law was made and certainly not for the well-being of the woman or the larger community.

So how does Jesus respond? He calls the scribes and Pharisees attention to the fact that they are not without sin; their hearts are not pure, and they slither away. The woman is left standing alone with Jesus.

While Jesus does not condemn the woman, he does hold her accountable and tells her not to sin any more.

Oftentimes, we can confuse holding someone accountable or to the truth as being judgmental. However, we need to be able to judge situations and, at times, we are called to speak the truth, even if that means it may be in conflict with another or requires holding another accountable.

In a scripture passage prior to the passage about the woman caught in adultery, Jesus says, “Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him. Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” The crowd answered, “You are possessed! Who is trying to kill you?” Jesus answered and said to them, “I performed one work and all of you are amazed because of it. Moses gave you circumcision—not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs—and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man can receive circumcision on a Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole person well on a Sabbath? Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.” (John 7:18-24)

If we come back to the woman caught in adultery, we see that Jesus doesn’t condemn her to death, but he does make a judgment. He tells her to sin no more. He tells her to stop.

When we look at our own lives, like with everything else, we need to follow Jesus’ example. We shouldn’t throw stones, but we should judge justly. When we see people doing wrong, we are called to speak the truth and to stand up for what is just. That is a big part of carrying one’s own cross…of being Christian.

 

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area,
and all the people started coming to him,
and he sat down and taught them.
Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman
who had been caught in adultery
and made her stand in the middle.
They said to him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught
in the very act of committing adultery.
Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.
So what do you say?”
They said this to test him,
so that they could have some charge to bring against him.
Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger.
But when they continued asking him,
he straightened up and said to them,
“Let the one among you who is without sin
be the first to throw a stone at her.”
Again he bent down and wrote on the ground.
And in response, they went away one by one,
beginning with the elders.
So he was left alone with the woman before him.
Then Jesus straightened up and said to her,
“Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
She replied, “No one, sir.”
Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.
Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” – John 8:1-11

Taking Paul’s Advice…

I saw this quote from Frederick Buechner, an American writer and theologian, the other day. I was contemplating what to do about a particular situation and all of a sudden, there was the answer, this quote, “Go where your best prayers take you.”

As I read the words, a smile came across my face. A reminder just at the right moment, and while the words may seem so simple or even obvious, I felt so grateful to see them and to be reminded of what I know through experience to be so true. I think most of us start out with the best of intentions and then along the way, we can get sidetracked or pulled away from the very place to which we started out.

It seems like it has been human nature, since the beginning of time, to want to be in charge, whether consciously or sub-consciously. Yet, I and many people I know, and know of, seem to agree, that being in a place of seeing oneself as being in charge, or the ultimate authority, can be a most dangerous place to be. Putting oneself at the top, in head and heart, seems to be a place that leads to chaos of one kind or another, more often than not. We can all probably point to many examples of such chaos in our lives and throughout the world.

“One of the most arduous spiritual tasks is that of giving up control and allowing the Spirit of God to lead our lives.” – Henri Nouwen

We can all probably also point to moments of joy and triumph that we’ve experienced ourselves or seen around us where the decision(s) seemed to be so guided by prayer rather than motivated by self-determination or self-preservation. This is not to say that decisions led by prayer do not also come with difficulty or challenge. Sometimes they do. However, when I turn my will over to God, putting prayer and listening at the top of the list, and asking God to help me to choose light and hope over fear, I find without fail, peace, calm and blessings in the midst of smooth sailing as well as in the midst of a storm.

PrayWithoutCeasing

St. Paul’s advice to the Thessalonians, “Pray without ceasing…”

Polished Stones…

PLUM2G

I woke up this morning with a U2 song in my head. I was particularly struck by the line, “The sea throws rocks together but time, leaves us polished stones.” As I look at stones collected from a local beach over the past number of years, I love how all the stones, of different shapes, sizes and colors, share a smooth texture. Sometimes I wonder from where each stone may have originated. How far did each one travel along its journey from out in the deep ocean to the sands of the beach? The stones, no matter where they came from or how they started out, all came to be smooth by being tossed about in the sea.

It is interesting how in the same way that the friction caused by water against stone and stone against stone has smoothed the edges over time, adversity can smooth our edges. Adversity can lead to growth.

It seems human nature to prefer the moments of smooth sailing, keeping quiet and avoiding potential conflict. However, as I reflect, it seems like so much more growth comes from moments of standing in the ocean and moving with the waves as they ebb and flow, as they rise and fall with the tide, and crash around during storm surges. Carrying hope in my heart and a desire to be all that I can be (and all that I was created to be) deep within my soul, I am able to own who I am. With each wave, through God’s grace and with openness and acceptance, the jagged edges are smoothed away. I am made new.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching…” – Ephesians 4:14

Ordinary Love by U2

The sea wants to kiss the golden shore.
The sunlight warms your skin.
All the beauty that’s been lost before, wants to find us again.
I can’t fight you anymore; it’s you I’m fighting for.
The sea throws rocks together but time, leaves us polished stones.

We can’t fall any further if, we can’t feel ordinary love.
And we cannot reach any higher, if we can’t deal with ordinary love.

Birds fly high in the summer sky and rest on the breeze.
The same wind will take care of you and I, we’ll build our house in the trees.
Your heart is on my sleeve, did you put it there with a magic marker.
For years I would believe, that the world, couldn’t wash it away.

Cause we can’t fall any further if, we can’t feel ordinary love.
And we cannot reach any higher, if we can’t deal with ordinary love.

Are we tough enough, for ordinary love?

We can’t fall any further if, we can’t feel ordinary love.
And we cannot reach any higher, if we can’t deal with ordinary love.

Are we tough enough, for ordinary love?
Are we tough enough, for ordinary love?
Are we tough enough, for ordinary love?