The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed – to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is. Parker Palmer
I might not agree with every word of the above quote, but isn’t it true of each of us? We just “want to be seen, heard and companioned?” Meeting my childhood friend for lunch was just such a blessing. We always manage to pick up right where we left off and we can share with each other and laugh and enjoy the company of the other knowing we are loved and accepted.
The Lord wants to save us and improve our life in every way that comes with salvation. Most of all our Creator is willing to see us, hear us and accompany us in all the paths of our life.
When I ask for advice the Lord is willing to send good counsel to me. Often my mistakes are not fixed but I am shown ways to gain forgiveness and make for change among those I may have injured or hurt.
To know and to be known, what a blessing!
I believe another thing we long for is for those around us to be sincere, trustworthy. Those qualities seem to be more difficult than every to find in this day and age. I am sickened and disgusted by the politicians who say this person is despicable and not trustworthy and in a matter of months change their tune to this person is the greatest ever! I do not want leaders that can change their tune rapidly especially when having power dangled before them as something they, too, might grasp. How are we to believe the claims that smack of insincerity? What ever happened to having principles and standing for them? There is a saying that if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything. So true.
I either need to stop watching television news or move to Canada. Not they don’t have their own troubles, but at least to me they would be new troubles. Lord, “Tell me Your secret, help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care.”
Parker Palmer says when we make a deep bow to the soul of a suffering person our respect “reinforces the souls healing resources.” What are your resources? Mine reside in this verse.
So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. 1 Peter 4:19
Trust, trust. Be still and trust. Some days more difficult than others.
Do not lie, even to yourself written by Joan Cittister
Mahatma Gandhi wrote, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Gandhi could have been a Benedictine. Humility is about living an integrated life, a life in which each part is in harmony with every other dimension.
What we think, what we say, and the way we go about life cannot be well lived when they are in opposition to one another. When, in fact, they simply cancel one another out, there is no integrity left to any of them. The person who lives a lie, for instance, no matter how effective otherwise, is in tension every moment of the day. The person who pretends to be something they are not—wealthy, credentialed, in emotional control—cannot function openly anywhere.
The truth is that we are meant to be transparent. People, hearing what we say, should know what we think. Seeing what we do with our lives, people can infer what we care about and how we think about things. If we say one thing but think another, somewhere, somehow, it all begins to seep out. Worst of all, the burden of hiding exhausts a person from the soul on out.
Benedict in the chapter on humility is quite direct about the intertwined life of soul, body, and emotions as the measure of integrity, strength, serenity, and freedom. In the final step of humility, his clarity is so simple it is stunning. He writes: Our humility “is evident at the Opus Dei, in the oratory, the monastery, or the garden, on a journey or in the field, or anywhere else.”
The directions are achingly pure: Be what you say you are. Do not lie, even to yourself. Don’t live two lives—loving parent/missing parent; honest employee/cheating employee; devoted public servant/self-absorbed public servant. The truth is that egotism is the bane of community building. No one can build anything that lasts when the materials are bogus.
I give myself over to my faithful Creator, our faithful One. This is not an easy task when I am troubled and disturbed, but He makes a way where there seems to be no way. Help me, Lord, continue to do good.
Try to listen as far as 3:55. This refrain rings through my soul!
One week Lectio 360 was focusing on different ways of knowing the Lord. Below are their words.
I find this is my heart’s cry as I try to write this blog
What I know of God will only be a fraction of who the Holy Trinity is. Oh that I might make clear the little part I have understood during my life!
This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, 24 but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV
Father, I pray I am using my understanding to know You and the creation You have put before us for discovery of You and delight in Your creation. I pray You will continue to unfold the Scriptures for me. Holy Spirit continue to show and teach me the ways of the Almighty One.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14 NIV
When Bob lay dying 6 years ago I realized that no one could promise me he would survive the illness or that we would continue our marriage of so many years in the way we had become accustomed. When a woman hits a crossroads like that, for this woman at least, I had to realize that I must crucify my hopes and dreams and let the Lord Almighty have full control.
“I began to approach the situation with stillness but no presumption that I in any way knew the ultimate result. Though I was often unconsciously holding my breath, there was a stillness in me. The stillness came with a peace that I recognized as coming from God. Reporting the day’s events and blood work results to prayer partners via email, without forecasting the next step or event or outcome was about my only “productive” output.
“The stillness was related to Habakkuk 2:20 NRSV “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before Him!” Another prayer that surfaced from the BCP “We do not presume to come to this Thy table trusting in our own righteousness but in Thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table. But Thou are the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.” (Holy Eucharist 1 P. 337)
“Part of my struggle was yielding to the facts and in stillness letting my wishes die, placing my hope in the plans of the Almighty. I could not see the outcome at all, but I trusted His goodness and His love for both myself and my family. I learned that crucified you must hold perfectly still. Ephesians 3:16 helped me to trust more. “I pray that, according to the riches of His glory, He may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” I prayed for Bob and our children to be strengthened. I prayed for myself to be strengthened by His Spirit with power penetrating to my innermost being. Yes, crucified you must hold perfectly still. I was not “going” anywhere.
I had to hold still, let go of my wishes and dreams. Let God unfold the future before me. True surrender.
I am His child.
I have only learned a small fraction about Who my God is. I barely know the Trinity. I am willing to continue to learn. In many ways, I know that the lessons from the not too distant past will carry me to the very end of my days. May Christ be glorified in and through me, I pray.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6 NIV
Have you? Do you know the gift God has given to you? Are you doing your best to fan it into flame?
God continues to give His believers a holy calling, His own purpose, the grace He gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago.
He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time 2 Timothy 1:9 NIV
That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination]. Amplified 2 Tim 1:6
Next week will be confirmation at St. Timothy’s by the Bishop. Bob was amazed at his confirmation that not only did the bishop lay hands on his head, but he also gently slapped him. This practice is not always continued today. I thought it was wonderful! As if to say, “Grow up ! Take this seriously! You now belong to Christ and the devil will do whatever he can to take you back.” The really great news is that NOTHING can take us out of the hand of Jesus!
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30
So for me, stir up, set afire the embers, fan the flame, keep your gift from God burning is a lifelong call. Recently I heard the call again from the Lord and am actively listening for how He would like to use my writing. I publish this blog and invite you to use it freely. A friend in Lexington was so moved by my state of aging (https://wordpress.com/post/treasures-in-plain-sight.org/16426) that she took it to the women’s meeting at her church. They loved it and laughed out loud with understanding. Even her husband was getting comments and he told me he had nothing to do with it!
My goal is to get the writing out there in any way the Lord sees fit. So if I come to mind, please pray for wisdom to know what to do with this stuff. I have been told by many that I have a gift. I just want to Honor the Trinity with how I use it.
You might remember this photo from our other house where a spider captured one of “our” hummingbirds?
I was SO angry I beat the spider to death with a broom. He was huge. So much for Franciscan values.
I try to follow my blogger friend Mike Powell at https://michaelqpowell.com/2024/07/09/blog-anniversary/ He is a dragonfly expert. His photography is most often amazing! Recently I was saddened to find this on the porch of our new house.
I know, even spiders need to eat. I was so sad to see what had been eaten and that the spider left me the remnants of its meal to clean up.
I know that many people, female and male are afraid of spiders. Some are even terrified. I began a story about fear in 1982 and added finishing touches in 1990. Hope this encourages you! No we cannot beat the enemy of our souls to death with a broom, but there are actions we can take.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 TIM 1:7
I saw the devil as a decrepit, weazand, impotent old man, stooped over, no strength in his backbone, but malice in his eyes. He worked his way up an open staired metal ladder to the catwalks along the lights above a stage.
I sat on the stage in finger curls and white eyelet ruffles looking much like the storybook picture of Miss Muffet. I was happy, contented and apathetic (having or showing little or no emotion).
Using seemingly his last once of strength, this old impotent being reached the spot on the catwalk above me which he had chosen as his point of power. From inside his trench coat he pulled a marionette … it was a hideous, hairy spider with spindly octopus-like legs and invisible strings. The catwalk was edged with a railing made of steel tubular pipes. He rested his weight upon the cold steel, too weak to stand on his own. He dropped the marionette half-way down and adjusted his hands in the wooden frames that controlled the stings for moving the spider’s body. Then he dropped the spider all the way down, near my face.
As I caught sight of the hideous hairy spider from the corner of my eye, apathy fled and emotions stormed over me. The spineless, weak being above me had little strength to hurt me, but he chose to use my own power against me. I flailed out in fear and anger and my actions made that spider jump and fly through the air with more energy than the old fart could ever have put into it.
And at that juncture, the loving voice of my Lord broke into the scene and said, “Molly, the spider is fear. It has very little power on its own. But you give it your energy by flailing and struggling and assuming it is more powerful than it is. Think through this same scene and SEE that had you chosen to sit still and watch that spider, it would have dangled from strings and been as impotent to harm you as the one holding its frames. HE has no power over you unless you give it to him. Fear is a choice!”
My life has never been the same. I am not always fearless, but I do know that when fear comes I can choose to have it go. Seeing things a new way … choosing another perspective or point of view … RESPONDING instead of reacting are all keys to maintaining my peace and experiencing the comfort and presence of my Lord Jesus.
“I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” PS 34:4
My prayer is that you might learn not to give the spiders of fear power over you. I understand our first instinct is usually to swat a spider away, but we have the choice to learn how to respond instead of react. I am praying for you!
no Brown Cow here. Just wanted to let you know that even some of my posts seem full of bitching and moaning, yet over all I do fairly well on any given day. Yes, pain and fatigue are my constant companions, but by the grace of God I make it through each day!
When we were in the Smoky Mountains we took a trail that required walking five miles one day and that was before noon!
The next day my body was not pleased with the after-pain, but I told myself, “Okay! You did that and did not die. When you get home you must begin walking more REGULARLY.”
June 10 at home I made .7 miles outdoors
And so I have. In spite of the recently brutal heat and humidity (even humid at 8AM) I am trying daily to take at least a one mile walk. Then tack on to that the other steps I take during the day, either walking the dog or going to the grocery and I am doing a reasonable number of steps. This morning I walked 1-1/2 miles in the morning. Yikes.
July 8 I did 1.54 miles and counting!
The only bad news is my toes are blistering. A marathon runner told me to use as much vasoline as I could under my socks. Well, that doesn’t work too well with band-aids. Today I set off with band-aids and silicone pads on some toes, then socks and shoes. Growing old is NOT for sissies! But being sedentary does not let a senior citizen live as long as if she were moving about!! Great for the diabetes, also.
Nothing gets me going as much as upbeat music, or daily morning prayer recording, or sermons from Harlem Renaissance church, any number of things to build up my soul along with my body and not necessarily in that order. Sometimes Lectio 360 comes first.
As that one gym shoe company declares, “Just do it!” swish
Change will come, whether we wish it to or not. To fight it is like fighting the sunrise. Better to say, “Ah, welcome old friend. Here you are again.”
BRUCE COVILLE
“Change, ah welcome old friend!” That would be a major leap for each of us, I think. I do not think I have EVER met a person who likes change, who craves it. And when change does come, it is usually unlike anything most of us have dreaded!
Maybe we can learn to say, “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings change into our lives.” Does that stretch you too far? Perhaps you can write your own version for adapting to change with the help of the King of the universe?
All this reminds me of a passage from Psalms. To often we think if we follow God he will give us what ever we want. This passage does not dispel that thinking, but I believe that is a very shallow interpretation.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV
To my way of believing it means if I follow God closely, and trust enough to learn to love Him, my desires will become His desires.
Martin Laird writes in A Sunlit Absence, “When we petition God for anything over a long period of time, something else begins to happen; we are brought into the depths of God and are joined with God’s will.”
If change has you faltering and stumbling perhaps it will take some time for you to embrace that change. Jesus eventually embraced the will of the Father concerning the cross. His heart turned to pleasing the Father in every instance. The cross was no different. His greatest goal seemed to be to delight the Father with obedience.
In a rather new song Abandoned by Benjamin William Hastings says ‘my one life endeavor to match your surrender to mirror not my will but yours.’ He goes on to say ‘completely, deeply, sold out completely abandoned, oh I surrender all. ‘ He describes all the ways we express our total relinquishment to the Almighty. Lyrics are below.
Verse 1 Something isn’t adding up This wild exchange you offer us I gave my worst, you gave your blood Seems hard to believe
Verse 2 You’re telling me you chose the cross? You’re telling me I’m worth that much? Well, if that’s the measure of your love How else would I sing but
Completely, deeply, sold out sincerely, abandoned I’m completely, freely, hands to the ceiling enamored Oh, my one life endeavor To match your surrender To mirror not my will but yours Oh I’m completely, deeply, don’t care who sees me abandoned Oh I surrender all (Oh)
[Verse 3: Brandon Lake I just can’t get over it What kind of self control is this You had angels at your fingertips But on the cross you remained, yeah
Verse 4: And I can’t repay this kind of love But I can praise with everything I got (Hey) Since death had all its power robbed Then just like the grave
Bridge The whole of my heart The best of my soul Each phase of my life Each breath in my lungs Consider it yours Lord (Oh, it's yours) Consider it yours Lord
The failures I hide The victories I don’t The battles I fight Each crown that I hoard Consider it yours Lord Consider it yours Lord All the glory forever The grave that you won The praise of the heavens The kingdom to come Consider it yours Lord Oh, I know You'll never leave me abandoned ...
I have and know others who have offered their suffering to God on behalf of others. At Lent many of us give up or sacrifice certain foods or thoughts patterns to God. We have almost all heard of folks who have prayed “If You will just save my child (let this pass, fill in the blank) I will always serve You from now on.”
I am not the Lord, but I think He certainly honors some of those prayers. He is rather specific about what He wants the most from us. Read the passage below.
Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15 Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50:14-15 NLT
Is thankfulness your sacrifice to God? Have you ever consciously made a sacrifice of praise to the Almighty One? Have you made vows to God? I do not mean vows like are made in religious institutions, but within your personal relationship with the Almighty.
Traditionally most married folks made vows to one another to remain faithful to their relationship. That does not always work out, but it is logical starting place. There are many hymns about the promises of God but almost none about our vows or promises to Him! Why is that? Because we are ingrates.
In the New Testament Stephen is speaking to the Jews after Jesus had risen, this is just before he was stoned to death.
“You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” Acts 7: 51-53 NIV
Lord, I have been a stiff-necked person, too. Help me to fulfill the vows I made to You. Help me to constantly offer the sacrifice of thankfulness to You. You alone are worthy of these things. Help me be faithful and true to You. Amen.
Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. Hebrews 13:15 NLT
There are many fine things which you mean to do some day, under what you think will be more favorable circumstances. But the only time that is yours is the present. GRENVILLE KLEISER
My mother used to say, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Perhaps she got the saying from her dad, who was a Methodist minister? There is another saying, “There is no time like the present.”
When are we going to take seriously our relationship with the Almighty? Making time to listen for His still small voice is not something to be postponed. There may be wisdom you are in need of, but if you are NOT listening, how will you receive it?
Perhaps you are running the troubles on an endless loop in your brain? Years ago a local grocery store had an advertising campaign that involved a giant pair of scissors (telling you to clip their coupons and save). I adapted those scissors to remind myself to cut the tape! Cut the endless loop of futile thoughts. Let the Lord in on giving advice and wisdom as to what is to be done. In this present moment. Right now, which is all the time any of us have. This minute.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I meant to ask God but got consumed by the problem. Well don’t do that. Stop it. Step aside and ask for guidance. At times the wisdom might be to just go on doing what the Lord has previously instructed.
Letthe peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15 NIV
Let – something you allow – Let. Simple word that can be difficult to allow. Have you allowed the holy peace of Christ to RULE in your heart? If not, when will you?
There are countless examples of things we put off. I pray this finds you determined to embrace and build a stronger relationship with the Almighty One starting today. In the story of the prodigal son, the Father ran out to meet him. I think that Father went more than half-way. I know the Holy God will applaud your efforts.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
This morning I listened to another wonderful sermon by Jordan Rice from Harlem Renaissance Church. He always gives me food for thought. https://renaissancenyc.com/media/dckm3vp/superficial-spirituality In this sermon he spoke a little bit about a good shepherd saying in effect, “the shepherd does not tell the sheep go up there to the corner, turn left, go about a mile and take 3 more rights… No, the Good Shepherd leads and goes with the sheep.”
Do you know the Shepherd I follow? It is such a comfort to remember that I never travel alone. I am always accompanied. You are also if you follow Him. Did you watch the latest episode of The Chosen? It has a great scene of Jesus identifying and teaching about the Good Shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:11-18 NIV
On my recent retreat we were encouraged to say yes to God. Everything that God asks of us, says we should do, to all of it a resounding YES! Cooperation with His will is no small thing. Even if it seems small at the time, obedience is the best path to follow.
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 1 Samuel 15:22 NIV
Why should I say yes to God? There is a rather plain explanation in Isaiah.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55: 8-9 ESV
The Holy One always has our best in mind. We usually do not see exactly where obedience will lead us, but we can always trust the Trinity to take us to a better place!
Sitting in my prayer chair, waking up the morning of May 31st, I heard this:
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4 NIV
The Message of the same verse reads:
“Listen to me, family of Jacob, everyone that’s left of the family of Israel. I’ve been carrying you on my back from the day you were born, And I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old. I’ll be there, bearing you when you’re old and gray. I’ve done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you.”
Brings to mind the image of refugees or flood victims fleeing and carrying old people on their backs. Proud Americans do not like to think this image is about them, yet we all need God to carry us, regardless of age.
Listening to Lectio 360 the same day they related a story about a man whose wife battled chronic illness for 20 years. People WANT someone to blame. Many years ago when I sought prayer for strength and courage to cope with my chronic illness a “charismatic” preacher said to me, “I thought you knew better than that,” as if I should never be ill. Shame is not helpful in those situations! God TOLD me He would be with me in the fibromyalgia.
Should I push God aside and shout, “but You have to heal me! You promised if I did such and so I would be healed.” We tend to see others who have physical afflictions as if they are less than ourselves, as if they are responsible for the failing of their body. What a crock of hooey! Those of us who suffer need the courage of the Lion of Judah, the strength of the Risen Christ to help in times of need.
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NRSV
Even Bob was struck in Lectio by the story of the woman with chronic illness. He wanted to be certain I listened on that day, and I had. The story is like what I was told … there is unresolved anger in your past, that is why you are ill. Let us just pray over you …sleep on a bed of magnets to be healed …drink this particular juice made from an exotic fruit … its all in your head. (Yep! those are actual things I was told!)
And to the remark about it all being in my head I replied, “Yes, in my head, my elbows, shoulders, hips. You name it I hurt there or I did last week or will next week.”
Fibro caused me to live in a high state of denial. That same logic does not work with diabetes. I AM angry at having diabetes, but I understand some of the disease in under my control, though there are many factors that are not. The Continuous Glucose Monitor no longer lets me live in that state of denial regarding diabetes. I must confess I am shocked at the effect certain foods have upon me. I must limit or eliminate those from my consumption.
In my nick knack collection I have a tiny brass chair that used to be in the windowsill. It reminds me that Christ is in our midst, ‘the unseen guest at every meal’. In the photo below it fell forward in the glass fronted case. At first I wondered how long it had been like that? Then I wondered if I could right it without dropping it behind the bookcase that rests below the display? Then I rejoiced that AGAIN the Lord has gotten my attention. I set a place for Him at the table of my life.
Lord God, Ruler of the Universe, give me eyes to see and ears to hear that I might proclaim Your glory.
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 