If you wish...

"Jesus stretched out his hand and said, 'I will do it. Be made clean.' His leprosy was cleansed immediately."

Matthew 8:3

 

And, just like that, the leper is cleansed. There have surely been times when I wanted such immediate and positive results to my prayers. But, when that hasn't happened, God has been teaching me patience. In the fullness of time...  Thanks be to God I haven't lost faith when the prayers haven't been immediately answered because I can look way back and see that prayers have indeed been answered in God's way and in God's time. Sometimes God used my suggestions and sometimes not. As I grow on my journey, I hope to pray more like this leper who said,   "If you wish, you can make me clean" (v. 2)  Let's all learn from this dear fellow today and begin our prayers with "If you wish, Lord..." Blessings on your summer weekend! Love, heidi

Give thanks!

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good...his love is everlasting."

Psalm 106:1

 

This whole week, since returning from retreat and class, God has shown me, daily, how blessed I am to have the job that I have.  As I sat on the porch of my hermitage on retreat, I was so aware that, anything gleaned there from my time alone with Jesus, must be put into practice once I travel back down the mountain.  It must be taken to and shared with everyone else in my everyday life. Thankfully, God has been working in that for me all week with my clients.  Yesterday, as a magnificent elderly lady hugged me good bye, I knew I am right where God wants me to be, doing what God wants me to do...for now. Sometimes, just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we have to leave home to find home. Blessings on your Thursday! Love, heidi

Just a snippet of a song...

"I hold your tomorrow..."

~song on KLOVE

 

I didn't catch the song title or artist, but as I was driving to an appointment with a retirement counselor, this song caught my ear.  I'd like to retire from my state job in a few years, but was nervous and unsure about what this counselor would tell me.  Hearing this snippet of a song told me all I need to know.  "I hold your tomorrow."  God has got this.  Whatever happens God is with me and "all will be well," as Julian of Norwich says.  We all have situations like this where it is reassuring to know we don't travel these roads alone.  "I hold your tomorrow..." Thanks be to God!  Love, heidi

Slide on through...

"How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life..."

Matthew 7:14

 

As I was thinking and praying with this reading this morning I kept having one thought.  I realized that it will be harder to fit through the narrow gate if we are carrying too much luggage.  Both physical and emotional stuff can hinder us from entering through that skinny, little, metaphoric gate. Is there anything we can do today to lighten our load as we proceed toward the gate?  Can we donate to a worthy cause? Clean out a closet? Forgive a tired, old hurt? Call an old friend?  Let's think and pray today about how we can lessen ourselves a bit so we can slide through that narrow gate with ease. Love, heidi

Living in love...

"Forgiveness should not merely be passive; it should be a lively act of love."

Elisabeth Leseur, "Give Us This Day"

 

I think I would add to this that our NOT judging others could be a lively act of love, too.  Jesus tells us in today's Gospel, "Stop judging, that you may not be judged" (Matthew 7:1).  Allowing others to be themselves, their unique selves as children of God, can be a lively act of love as well. They may not believe or do things the same way we do, but our judging them actually wounds us as well as them. Maybe even more so, since Jesus tells us we will be judged as we judge. Today, as we go about our first Monday of summer, let's be aware of judging thoughts that may creep into our minds. Let's replace them with prayer that we can love like Jesus loved.  Let how we interact with others today be a lively act of love!  Love, heidi