"When they heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the garden at the breezy time of the day, the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden."
Genesis 3:8
The thing about shame is that the feeling sticks with you long after the offense is over and forgiven. In fact, fifty-odd years after the neighborhood kids and I picked flowers from a neighbor's garden, I can still feel the shame I felt afterward. I knew it was wrong, and I was terrified of getting caught. I remember sitting on the couch later with Mrs. Miron (babysitter) and just writhing there in shame and guilt. I can still feel it! And the thing about this reading, after Adam and Eve experience the shame of their malfeasance, look what God does...
"For the man and his wife, the Lord God made leather garments, with which he clothed them." (Genesis 3:21).
God knew the shame that Adam and Eve felt was not what he had in mind for them. God was the one who protected them in their own shame! God doesn't want us to feel that shame, either. Just turning toward God, recognizing that we could do things better, and God is busy making us garments too. God only and always loves us...God will always protect us from what is harmful to us--even if it is our own shame. Love, heidi
Friday, February 10, 2017
Thursday, February 9, 2017
God's desire for creation?
"The Lord God said, 'It is not good for man to be alone...'"
Genesis 2:18
On Pray-as-You-Go this morning, the question is asked, "What is God's desire for creation?" Good one, that. All through scripture and other spiritual books I'm reading, the answer seems to be Companionship and Relationship. Jesus sought out relationships all through his ministry. God pursued relationship with the Jewish people all through the Old Testament. It IS not good for man to be alone! We cannot live the life of Christ in isolation. The life of Christ is all about relationship. Period. Some of these relationships are easy and give us great joy, others, not so much. It's the relationships that cause us to struggle that really teach us though, if we think about it. The relationships where we have to climb out of ourselves and put others first. The relationships where we may feel put upon or under-nourished are the ones that God wants to teach us to be more like Jesus. Last night, as I was doing my Examen, I didn't have to wonder where I could have done better. It was obvious to me I'd fallen way short in a relationship setting. Now I can beat myself up about that or I can get out there and try, with God's help, to do better today. It is God's desire that I am in the relationships I find myself in. I need to show up and try harder! Love, heidi
Genesis 2:18
On Pray-as-You-Go this morning, the question is asked, "What is God's desire for creation?" Good one, that. All through scripture and other spiritual books I'm reading, the answer seems to be Companionship and Relationship. Jesus sought out relationships all through his ministry. God pursued relationship with the Jewish people all through the Old Testament. It IS not good for man to be alone! We cannot live the life of Christ in isolation. The life of Christ is all about relationship. Period. Some of these relationships are easy and give us great joy, others, not so much. It's the relationships that cause us to struggle that really teach us though, if we think about it. The relationships where we have to climb out of ourselves and put others first. The relationships where we may feel put upon or under-nourished are the ones that God wants to teach us to be more like Jesus. Last night, as I was doing my Examen, I didn't have to wonder where I could have done better. It was obvious to me I'd fallen way short in a relationship setting. Now I can beat myself up about that or I can get out there and try, with God's help, to do better today. It is God's desire that I am in the relationships I find myself in. I need to show up and try harder! Love, heidi
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Our next breath...
"The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being."
Genesis 2:7
That's how intimately we are related to God--God's very breath is in our own bodies. There is a lovely song on Christian radio now called "Great Are You Lord," and the chorus says,
"It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise to you..."
("Great Are You Lord," by All Sons and Daughters)
God breathes life into humanity constantly, even now as we seem to be breathing on our own. Imagine how wonderful if, throughout our winter Wednesday, we stop, take a few deep breaths and think of God breathing new life into us, right then. We can breathe in the very breath of God! Imagine how comforting that could be if we are feeling anxious or angry, frustrated or full of ourselves. Let's rely on God's very breath filling up our lungs today and then imagine doing the impossible. Fr. Mike St. Marie told us one time, long ago, that Grace is our very next breath. Certainly, 'tis, since it's the very breath of God! Love, heidi
Genesis 2:7
That's how intimately we are related to God--God's very breath is in our own bodies. There is a lovely song on Christian radio now called "Great Are You Lord," and the chorus says,
"It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise, we pour out our praise to you..."
("Great Are You Lord," by All Sons and Daughters)
God breathes life into humanity constantly, even now as we seem to be breathing on our own. Imagine how wonderful if, throughout our winter Wednesday, we stop, take a few deep breaths and think of God breathing new life into us, right then. We can breathe in the very breath of God! Imagine how comforting that could be if we are feeling anxious or angry, frustrated or full of ourselves. Let's rely on God's very breath filling up our lungs today and then imagine doing the impossible. Fr. Mike St. Marie told us one time, long ago, that Grace is our very next breath. Certainly, 'tis, since it's the very breath of God! Love, heidi
Monday, February 6, 2017
The fourth day...
"God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed--the fourth day."
Genesis 1:19
For those involved in the Women's Cursillo this past weekend, today is, indeed, our fourth day. And, as tired as we may feel, today begins the journey putting all that we gleaned from the weekend, into practice, in our daily lives. There will be gifts for us to unwrap from this weekend for many days to come! Pray-as-You-Go today emphasized how God saw all created as good. God was delighted at the results of creation, and that includes all humans, too, dear Friends. We are part of God's created goodness. Let's take that with us out into this winter day. Love, heidi
Genesis 1:19
For those involved in the Women's Cursillo this past weekend, today is, indeed, our fourth day. And, as tired as we may feel, today begins the journey putting all that we gleaned from the weekend, into practice, in our daily lives. There will be gifts for us to unwrap from this weekend for many days to come! Pray-as-You-Go today emphasized how God saw all created as good. God was delighted at the results of creation, and that includes all humans, too, dear Friends. We are part of God's created goodness. Let's take that with us out into this winter day. Love, heidi
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