Nothing is too small...

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord."

Jeremiah 17:7

 

Sometimes the stuff we go through is just too big and difficult for us to bear.  We feel very small and powerless.  Things spin out of control. That seems to be when we turn to God, when, actually, we should probably turn to God long before then! God wants to be involved in our lives, in each seemingly insignificant little detail, not just when things run amok. In good times and in bad, in difficult times or in easy, God desires us.  Nothing we go through or deal with in our lives is too small for God to care. Let's think about that as we go about our Thursday! Love, heidi 

Who is it not about? Me!

"Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant..."

Matthew 20:26

 

I woke up in the night with a very powerful thought on my mind.  "It's not about you, Heidi, it's about others."  It was as clear as a bell and, as I snuggled in, back to sleep, I prayed I'd remember it.  As it happens, it fits in nicely with today's Gospel.  James and John (and their mom) ask Jesus if they can have positions of power in his Kingdom. It's about them, you see.  Jesus realizes what's ahead for them all and replies, "Well, it's not about you guys...it's about others."  That seems to be  message for me this Lent and maybe even this year.  Throughout the whole flood saga at my place, I kept getting the message to be kind. ("Only kindness matters," remember the Jewel song?) It's not about me, it's about others.  Fr. Bentz's homily, at BSU in January, too, not to ask what should I do with my life, but how can I best help others? How can I best serve others?  This is all very exciting, Gracious God!  Thank you for waking me in the night and whispering to me.  (And I caught Tebow sleeping on the spare room bed! The rascal!)  Love, heidi

Mind your tassels!

"(The scribes and Pharisees)...All their works are performed to be seen."

Matthew 23:5

 

Pray-As-You-Go asked, as part of the reflection on this reading, "What are your hopes for today?"  In thinking about that, I mentally scrolled through my calendar.  It's a really busy day, even with a night lesson tonight.  It makes me tired just thinking about it. Gracious and loving God, let me be your hands and feet today.  The people on my calendar are put there for a reason, and it may not just be because they need mobility instruction! Help me to be a servant for you, doing my job with love, compassion and for Your glory.  Help me to take control of my "tassels," (v. 5) realizing it's not about me, but only about them. Thank you and Amen! Love, heidi

Words vs actions...

"Jesus, are such journeys just about you or are they also about us? Do you want us to think higher of you, or higher of ourselves because of you? Why do you take us along on such journeys at all?"

Fr. Richard Rohr, "Wondrous Encounters--Scriptures for Lent"

 

This was yesterday's meditation on the Transfiguration and I wanted to finish the prayer--Why do you take us along on such journeys at all? Especially if you don't want us to talk about them? In both Mark and Matthew's Gospels Jesus specifically tells the witnesses NOT to tell about the vision of his transfiguration with anyone.  Why take us along if we can't share it?  Well, Jesus tells them not to share it until after he has died and risen from the dead, which gets them head-scratching right there.  But my prayer with this went a different way.  I realize that us talking about our fabulous encounters with Jesus can only go so far.  When we are changed by Jesus we change from the inside out.  Jesus wants us to talk about our encounters less and change our actions more. Jesus knows that actions speak louder than words and our behavior changes will bring more positive ripples through our world than our just talking about Jesus. So, as we embark on our mid-Lent Monday, let's be aware of how our actions, not just our words, can share Jesus in our world today.  Our actions are much more contagious, sharing Jesus in the world! Love, heidi