Abundant grace...

"May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always with you
May the sunshine warm you always
'Til we meet again."
Irish Blessing (also a beautiful song, link below)

So, the jukebox in my head played this song as I walked my little route this morning. It was sad because I lost my walking buddy this week. Tebow, my 13 year old golden retriever had to be put down due to some neurological event that rendered him not him. I've done this before and it's never easy, believe me. But this time, I felt a powerful swirling of God's grace through the whole thing. My kids were with me the whole time; Tebow cradled in Blaine's lap, gazing at me, through his last breaths. Even my dear young neighbors put flowers and a card outside the door to my apartment. God is showering me with blessings through the love and care of my fellow humans. And that's what God does best...shower us with love and grace through each other. Please listen to this song and think of dear old Tebow, who I'm sure by now, has found his buddy Eiger up yonder...
Irish Blessing

The voice of God...

"It takes so much courage and humility to trust the voice of God."
Richard Rohr, Daily Meditation, 5/28

And how do we even perceive the voice of God? Maybe we should start there...Richard Rohr believes, and I do too, that we can hear the voice of God in our own thoughts. Rather than allow that to run amok, I like to pass thoughts through filters and ask myself if the thoughts sound like God; are they loving, inclusive, life-giving? If not, then it probably isn't the voice of God. Are the thoughts something that God has expressed before? In scripture? Through the mystics? Is God just repeating it for me? I also like to run thoughts-that-seem-like-God past my Spiritual Director or a spiritual companion. Another heart and mind discerning what I think I'm hearing from God is extremely helpful for me. God may speak to us in our thoughts, but God also speaks to us through the wisdom of others. I think of Mary, a young girl, who has a visit from an angel who tells her she will be the mother of the savior. (Luke 1:26-38) Then, the angel leaves her (verse 38--Yikes!) She is left with her courage and humility to trust the voice of God. But she also had supportive people, like her cousin Elizabeth, who helped her along her journey. We, too, have supportive people in our lives and we are called to be supportive people for others. If we have the courage and humility to hear the voice of God, God will show us how to lend support and help. So, today as we go about our Whatever-day-it-is (I don't know, I'm out of school) let's take some quiet time and listen to the voice of God in our own thoughts. What is God saying? Love, heidi