Thursday, May 31, 2012

Courage to risk and grow!

"Faithfulness requires the courage to risk everything on Jesus, the willingness to keep growing, and the readiness to risk failure throughout our lives..."
Brennan Manning, "Reflections for Ragamuffins"

And there is no better example of this than our two ladies we celebrate today in the Feast of the Visitation! (Luke 1:39-56) Think about it! Both Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth risked themselves for the sake of Jesus. Both listened to the call within and responded, "Yes!" And both had no idea what they were getting into, did they? They both accepted, even welcomed, God coming into their lives and changing everything--and that certainly inspires growth. And, especially in Mary's case, it could all just end...as it appeared on Calvary. How does this affect our lives as we spin around on this planet? Our faith in Jesus keeps us going when things seem to fall apart. We live, and hopefully, grow on our journey, with the companionship of others on a similar journey, but each one is unique. And, we risk rejection because of our beliefs, and sometimes it just may not be what we thought it would be. And, when that happens, we keep the faith and chock it up to a possible growth experience. Love, heidi

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

A servant to all...

"Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mark 10:43-45

It saddens me that I do not see much of this in our world today. I see rich and powerful leaders lauding over others with their wealth and power. I see humble people, serving others daily with love and care, barely compensated. They are truly the great among us, and yet, they struggle to feed their families. In God's Kingdom there are no CEO's making billions on the backs of others. There are true leaders who lead with love and compassion. I don't see that here in this world and it troubles me. I am comforted, however, by the fact that, in the end, God's Kingdom will reign and this sad and sorry system of ours will not. Jesus tied a towel around his waist and washed the feet of his friends...even the friends who betrayed and denied him. Jesus loved and served others. If we could only follow his example! Love, heidi

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Silence and prayer...

"Whoever tries to find interior stillness and cohesion will, little by little, obtain a different relationship to things and circumstances. Silence, prayer, and the affirmation of your interior life make you see things differently."
Fr. Wilfrid Stinissen, "This is the Day the Lord Has Made"

This was so true for me when I made the three-day silent retreat last summer! As a result of spending time in nature in Kansas, I discovered a pine tree towering over my yard in Idaho. As a result of spending time praying in the cemetery, I made many new friends. But the main lesson I learned when I spend time alone, is that I am never alone. It was a fascinating journey--one that I hope to make again and again. I need to carve out time in my "normal" life for silence and prayer, too, and that may be increasingly in the busy fun of summer. I will try, though, because Fr. Stinissen is so right-on here! Spending time, alone, in silence, is spending time with God. And that is crucial to our spiritual journey! Love, heidi