Life

And, the Sun…

Amongst the many voices and other various noises as the events of a day unfold, reside the quieter, more subtle, sometimes missed happenings. Whether during celebratory or somber times, there are signs… gifts… blessings ever-present. It is as if they are there to acknowledge, “Yes, that…, but also this.” Perhaps they are there to help one remember, or to consider, all that is true in any given moment. It seems at every turn, there is opportunity to receive peace, strength, wisdom, joy… whatever grace may be needed or may be of benefit to those present, close by, and even far away.

Oftentimes, there is so much more than what may be immediately in front of us, or surrounding us. Yet, it can be easy to forget that. Even worse, it can be easy to become focused on a single piece or a fraction of the whole and to exclude the picture in its entirety from consideration.

We must remember, it is not only the sun that rises and sets, but also the moon. Together, they help to make the day complete.

SunsetRI2

Walk This Way…

One of my favorite memories of my father is how occasionally, if we were walking somewhere, he would move a little close and gently say, “Carissa, walk this way.” Then he would put his arm around my shoulder, and with a smile on his face, he would change the direction or the gait of his walk. This would not happen frequently, but when it did, I would follow along, also with a smile on my face as we took a new path or walked in a different way.

Today, this memory also brought to mind the way that setting out on a new path can be inspiring and uplifting. There can be a sense of adventure, energy, and excitement in going where one has not gone before, or going a different way than in the past. However, often in the world, there can be preconceived notions or fixed ideas on what “the way” is or what it needs to be. These can make pursuing what is new or different less appealing or intimidating among other things.

As one goes along, it can be challenging to figure out how much weight to place, if any, on expectations or ideas originating outside of us, or even within. Despite this, each of us is created to walk not as the world would have us walk, but to walk as one’s soul longs to walk. While examining our thoughts and opinions as well as those of others can be helpful, ultimately, it is best to prayerfully consider them alongside seeking the Truth. We all have Wisdom with us; waiting… wanting to guide us toward what is truly good, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of those around us as well.

Path

An Island unto Itself…

Earlier today, the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship was making its way into Boston Harbor. It moved along its way slow and steady. As I watched and thought about the length, width and height of the ship and the many people who work to keep it running, those who visit and vacation on it, and those who serve them as well as all the available amenities, I found myself feeling amazed at this “city” on the water.

Sometimes the thought of being self-sufficient and an island unto oneself, can be enticing. Especially when one can have everything wanted, needed and/or preferred encapsulated in a setting that is perhaps picture perfect. However, while the ship and all who are on it may be seemingly content in the middle of the ocean, or a short way from the shore, there are just as many people off the boat as there are on it who help to keep it going. Activity by both land and sea is necessary for the successful operation of the cruise ship. This is true regardless of whether or not everyone involved is a fan, or cares for the idea of a cruise.

For example, the person who provides or delivers the produce to the ship may have no desire to take a cruise or go offshore, for whatever reason, yet their role remains vital. Often, especially in times of disagreement, we can lose sight of the facts, the value of each other, and the truth. Just as water in the ocean can become less clear from turbulence, the truth also can become muddled.

“The irony is that at the very moment he [Pilate] asked his question ‘What is truth?’ he was staring at the pure incarnation of Truth. The One who is the Truth had just said to him, ‘Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’

Pilate missed that voice. The words bounced off his ears. He was not ‘of the truth’.”
– R.C. Sproul

In Psalm 145 it is written, “The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth” (v18). Even in times of distress or uncertainty, the Truth is always closer than we may think. The Truth is often right in front of us, next to and inside us, waiting to be discovered… waiting for us to be open and ready not only to see it, but also to receive it. When we call out and seek the Truth earnestly and honestly, with both heart and mind, its Voice is unmistakable. Everything else is just noise.

QMII

Every Tree… Known by Its Fruit

Have you ever stopped to consider the wide array of fruits and vegetables around the world and the richness in color and nutrients that they offer, not to mention the satisfaction they can bring to one’s palate?

Earlier in the week I had a kumquat for the first time. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I found it to be interesting and surprising in both texture and taste. Its outward appearance (shape, feel and size) was similar to a grape tomato but of a yellow-orange color and more firm. Upon chewing, it was full of a very citrusy flavor like a tangerine only with greater tartness and fewer seeds. The experience was not at all what I thought it might be like—a mild tasting fruit. It was new and very different than anything I had tasted before.

While I have seen kumquats in grocery stores many times, I had never gravitated toward them or been curious enough to try them. In fact, had it not been for the story and the excitement with which an acquaintance offered me one as she explained how she came to buy them, just a day or two before, for the first time herself, they would still be foreign and unknown by me.

Thinking about the experience, it is intriguing how the kumquat, such a little thing originating half way across the world from where I live, could pack such a powerful experience… powerful enough to create a sense of “wow!” and a desire to share the news with others for both my acquaintance and myself.

Perhaps, even more compelling, the fact that the Cantonese name for “kumquat,” pronounced gām-gwāt, means “golden orange” or “golden tangerine.” The name definitely gives an indication of what to expect in terms of citrus flavor and if you see a kumquat tree it looks very much like a tangerine tree, however, in looking at the outside of this little fruit it looks nothing like what a tangerine is supposed to look like. The shape is different, it is smaller (or at least what I had was), and the skin is not peeled. Despite this, the kumquat certainly tastes like a tangerine, and, if what is on the inside truly counts, then that is all that matters.

In everyday life, as we go about our business, we all bear fruit. There are many different ways in which we do so and just as many kinds of fruit. Sometimes we can jump to conclusions, assess people and/or situations, or make assumptions, based on what appears to be rather than looking at what truly is. We must be aware. We must remember substance.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good,
but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil;
for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
– Luke 6:43-45

Kumquats

The Flock…

As I gazed out across the quiet, mostly still water, there were a number of Canadian geese slowly making their way to the other side of the pond. They appeared to be in a sort of formation. It was one that could be labeled more interesting or captivating than their typical landside behavior and the annoyance caused by the parting “gifts” they often leave behind.

Although the geese were not in a straight line, they were all pretty much in a row. They were moving together, eventually all in the same direction and with a similar, if not the same, purpose. They were united, even if only by the species to which they belong; not all that different than any other species.

Oftentimes amidst disagreement or unrest, it may seem that all we have is the knowledge that we are the same, but also simultaneously not the same.

When at an impasse, it can be tempting to throw up one’s hands and not only walk away, but also to stay away. While sometimes, this is necessary and perhaps truly for the best, Jesus cautions his disciples not to do so too easily or too quickly. For even in weighing the pros and cons and allowing them to inform and guide decisions, the heart—in all its depth, and holding knowledge of a different kind—can be left behind or squeezed out.

Jesus said to his disciples:
“If your brother sins against you,
go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.
If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.
If he does not listen,
take one or two others along with you,
so that ‘every fact may be established
on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’
If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.
If he refuses to listen even to the church,
then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.
Amen, I say to you,
whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again, amen, I say to you,
if two of you agree on earth
about anything for which they are to pray,
it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there am I in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:15-20

We are to help each other to stay true… to stay in formation—connected—so that we do not get lost and so that the equation does not leave cunning intellect and surface emotions to dominate and direct rather than Wisdom.

In the final analysis, I believe in man, in spite of men – Elie Wiesel

TheFlock

Abide with me…

Driving down the highway the other day, I was thinking about some recent news and feeling a little troubled. As I was contemplating what had happened, the words in the song playing in the background interrupted my thoughts. “Abide with me, abide with me.” The repeated phrase shifted my attention to the lyrics of the song.

Oftentimes life can be thrown into flux with little or, sometimes, no warning. Experiencing trials however big or small, or seeing and hearing about devastation whether caused by Mother Nature or human nature can be both eye opening and eye popping. It can be gut wrenching to live through yet alone witness such happenings. However, it can also lead to better things and better days… a changed course… a new path… unexpected blessings. Still though, it can be hard to swallow and to accept that much in life is beyond our control. From the moment of conception, transition and uncertainty are very much part of everyone’s journey.

Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Matthew 16:23). St. Paul counseled the Romans, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). Ultimately, we all belong to God and as such, to each other as well—all created in one image (Genesis 1:27).

When we hold onto this knowledge and allow it to come to life in us and through us, we are changed for the better, with each moment. When we cling to God, “what is good and pleasing and perfect,” no matter how foreign it may be to others, becomes clear. All we ever really need to do is to abide in the One who abides with us.

Abide With Me – performed by Matt Maher

https://youtu.be/MuGV4mOyPK0?t=1s

I have a home, eternal home
But for now I walk this broken world
You walked it first, You know our pain
But You show hope can rise again up from the grave

Abide with me, abide with me
Don’t let me fall, and don’t let go
Walk with me and never leave
Ever close, God abide with me

There in the night, Gethsemane
Before the cross, before the nails
Overwhelmed, alone You prayed
You met us in our suffering and bore our shame

Abide with me, abide with me
Don’t let me fall, and don’t let go
Walk with me and never leave
Ever close, God abide with me

Oh love that will not ever let me go
Love that will not ever let me go
You never let me go
Love that will not ever let me go
Oh You never let us go

And up ahead, eternity
We’ll weep no more, we’ll sing for joy, abide with me

Matt Maher, David Crowder, Jason Ingram, Matt Redman
© 2015 Sony/ATV Tree Publishing / I Am A Pilgrim Songs (BMI) / David Criwder designee/Sony/ATV Timber Publishing/Open Hands Music (SESAC)/Matt Redman designee

Sprinklers and Fountains…

I recall summer days during childhood when my father would attach sprinklers to a few hoses spread around the yard to water the grass. Then, every so often, he would move each sprinkler to a new location to ensure each section of grass was watered. I remember looking forward to “sprinkler days” back then especially on long, hot, humid days.

My siblings and I used to run through the lines of water at times to cool off, or around them at other times to avoid getting wet. Still other times, we would pick the sprinkler up when least expected, aiming it at the others, whether wanted or not, for a surprise cooling off. And then, every so often, one of us might slip away to remove the sprinkler head, replace it with the “super spray” nozzle and proceed to provide a more powerful cooling off experience for the others. Overall, we had a lot of fun, and admittedly some “disagreements” too.

There were three sprinklers altogether. Two of them were straight and about a foot long with several holes along the length. The sprayer would move from one side to the other, from 0 to 180 degrees, shooting lines of water along the way. Then there was the “wacky” sprinkler. It had three prongs that came out from the center which would rotate around, 360 degrees, as it sprayed a line of water sideways from each prong. The circular motion caused the lines of water to be wilder, and perhaps crazier, than the lines of water that the other sprinklers emitted. Despite its flair and pizzazz, the “wacky” sprinkler was the least desirable for cooling off. However, at the end of the day, both types of sprinklers accomplished their job, watering the grass sufficiently. And, while the “super spray” nozzle was great for sibling sneak attacks, it was less effective and not considered as an option for watering the lawn.

With events that have transpired across the world this past week, and what seems a continuous growing trend of intolerance and inability to dialogue in dignified and respectful ways, somehow I found myself thinking of the “wacky” sprinkler spraying water in every which way. Yes, it was wild and crazy, but it still had a purpose and value so we tolerated it and used it as it could be used. Then there was the “super spray” nozzle with its harsh and often cold rush of water, but even that, if used properly could be used to water the lawn.

There are many happenings throughout the world that can be upsetting and downright improper. Sometimes, it can be easy to become enflamed by what we cannot comprehend and by what seems “way out there” to us. It can be tempting to join the frenzy or to turn away and refrain from any kind of engagement. Somewhere in between, there are answers and there is common ground. Somewhere there is the fountain, the spring… the Source that provides life rather than strife. It is up to each of us to seek it and to work toward it, so that we may come together rather than be torn apart.

Fountain2

 

Change – Are You Ready to Let Go?

It serves us well to remember that while the sun greets each day and the moon bids it farewell, each day is not the same. Though the hours in a day remain the same, each day offers countless possibilities and opportunities. In order to pursue or partake of them, though, often requires one to make a change.

While we do need some things to be consistent and to have some structure, it is often good to re-evaluate our routines. Are there ways in which I have become closed off to that which is new or different? Is there room for change?

Change… Why is change so hard for some and seemingly not for others? Perhaps it is because there is often more to the story than meets the eye. Sometimes the need for change may not be recognized. Other times when we shy away from it, “resistance to change” is often the roommate of “struggling to let go.”

Usually one must let go of something, or perhaps multiple things, in order to make space for what is new or different. What that thing is can vary greatly. It might be a person, job, house, car or another material possession; or it might be something intangible such as an attitude or a perspective. Sometimes it can be hard to realize that whatever I cannot let go, “owns” me in some way, and, as long as it does, I will not be free to choose or be open to change.

A number of years ago as I prepared to direct my first weekend retreat, I recall feeling a sense of pressure – or greater responsibility – at the thought of working with people for such a short period of time. In looking more closely at what was going on and with a little help, I was able to recognize and name the worldly notion onto which I was holding: that somehow I alone was responsible for a fruitful weekend. Yes, my role as a spiritual director was important, and I needed to be mindful of that, but I also needed to remember that, ultimately, I was not “in charge” and the One who was, was more than capable. In doing so, I felt a greater sense of freedom and could carry on pressure-free as I met with retreatants. Letting go in this way enabled me to be more open. It also enabled me to be more patient with both myself and each retreatant, as if our time together would be endless, trusting that all desires brought to prayer are heard and responded to in time regardless of whether or not I had the privilege to witness the entire process. As the saying goes, I “let go and let God.”

Failing to let go of whatever may be holding us back, is like closing the door not only to change, but also to what may await on the horizon. We live in a world that tells us there is one shot to get it “right” and if we miss, we are out of luck. However, if we look to creation we can see that this is not true. Luckily, or rather blessedly, we often get more than one chance to rise to the occasion and embrace change.

SunRise2

SDIBlog

Waiting for the Dough…

I recall being surprised as a child, the first time I observed pastry dough and a particular pastry being made from scratch. To start the process, some warm milk was added into a bowl that contained yeast. Just prior to the water being added, I remember curiously smelling the yeast and turning away as the aroma hit me. I found the odor rather offensive.

I also found myself impatient at having to wait for the dough to rise. Why did we have to wait so long? And how could yeast, having such a bad smell, possibly make good dough? As a child, I did not know any different or understand the process. However, I had a desire to learn and as I followed the process from start to finish, I was thrilled with the end result—Ka’ak! A family favorite enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.

There were many steps in the making of this Lebanese sweet treat and each of them seemed to take so long to complete. I remember the pleasant smell wafting through the house as the dough and the dipping “sauce” cooked. There were hours from the rising of the big batch of dough to the second dipping of each piece into the sweet milky liquid that would provide both a glaze and a sweet mild taste that lingered ever so gently with each bite.

As a child, it seemed like a painstaking process, taking an eternity to get to taste a piece of Ka’ak. All those steps and all that time though, were necessary, and the wait always ended up being worthwhile… the taste heavenly.

Sometimes it can be hard to wait, and perhaps even harder to trust that what’s happening, or not happening now, is part of the process. It can be difficult to believe that what may seem unpleasant or far less than ideal may need to occur along the way in order to get to a sweeter place.

One must remember: There is no sense in trying to bake the Ka’ak before the dough rises.

WaitingForTheDough

 

Wonderland…

In the 1800s, Charles Lutwidge Dodson was born, lived, and died in England. He was a writer, photographer, mathematician, logician and more. He was also an Anglican deacon. However, he became best known as the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. His pen name was Lewis Carroll.

Through the years, there have been a number of misconceptions and myths about Lewis Carroll. Through it all though, and while he has been deceased over a century, his words and works have remained as popular as ever. His writing is captivating and thought provoking. In both his well-known fictional works and in letters to friends there is depth… there is truth… there are roots.

Lewis Carroll wrote, “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” In other words, there is something greater than “myself.” While it is important to be the best I can be, it is even more important to know, and to be rooted in, why, and for whom, I am striving to be the best I can be. Is it for myself or is it for the greater good? What is it that is truly in my heart as I go along?

Jesus said, “… Some (seed) fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots” (Matthew 13:5-6).

We all need roots in order to be faithful and true as we stand, and withstand, whatever comes our way. However, roots cannot grow and take hold where there is not fertile soil.

We are not the seed. We are the soil. The seed is the image of God in which we are created. It can only grow and flourish when we use our free will to nurture it. It is our calling to provide an environment that allows the seed to catch root and grow. This happens through the grace of God.

Most often, when we truly turn our will over to God, we find ourselves growing in our capacity to experience life with a joy and love that reaches out and touches others. Maybe that is God’s way of saying, “Nurture the soil, and leave the rest up to me.”

Roots_Wonderland