Inspiration for your journey to God!

Tag: grace (Page 3 of 3)

The wind around the lake

One day during one of my retreat trips to Erie, PA, I decided to take a walk along the monastery property and wound up on a deck overlooking Lake Erie.  It’s such a pleasant place to sit with your thoughts.   On this particular day, it was quite windy and the water was a bit choppy.  I enjoyed sitting there watching the waves crashing and feeling the resultant mist sprinkle across my face.  At one point, I noticed the sea gulls in their struggle to fly against the wind and thought to myself: “it would be so much easier if you turned around and flew WITH the wind” – then I chuckled- another lesson to be learned there, right?

After a few minutes, I changed my focus.  This time I noticed the beautiful white, fluffy clouds – pure white.  They showed no sign of struggle with the wind whose strength was apparent to me and the sea gulls.  If you looked at the clouds for a split second, they didn’t even seem to be moving.  However, if you focused on them for much longer you could notice their slow, steady movement.

Two things came to mind as I witnessed the clouds and the gulls – one as I sat there that day and the other several months after, as I contemplated my experience.  The first thing that came to mind was my conversation with Fr. George on purity (see my post entitled Coming to a Place of Purity).   I watched the clouds move slowly and steadily, all in the same direction.  As I followed their path, I realized further down to my right that they were floating into one another – they were becoming ONE.  Then it hit me – that’s what we are meant to become – ONE.  Furthermore, our journey to oneness must be similar to the journey of the clouds – pure, slow and steady.

The second thing that came to mind was the contradiction between the two subjects in the same environment.  The clouds showed no sign of struggle while the sea gulls looked like they were going nowhere fast.  To me the clouds were the image of grace, humility and peace while the sea gulls were the image of over-confidence and struggle.  What was the difference?  The clouds seemed to be going with the flow, while the sea gulls were relying on their own abilities and going against the “flow”, if you will.

Think about your own struggles.  Are they a result of your inability to go with the flow?  I realize that life feels like a struggle when things don’t go my way.  The times I feel struggle are the times I forget who’s in charge.  At these times I regroup, change focus and remind myself that God is in charge and that He has a different plan for me.  In Romans 8:28 we read:     God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  Let’s trust in that!  For me, when I trust in God’s plan, absolutely nothing in life seems like a struggle.

This coming year, let’s vow to be like the clouds:  working toward purity of self, accepting all circumstances in life with much grace and humility and remaining in peace.  God bless you!

Resurrection Spirit

I spent four hours this past Tuesday afternoon in bed, in complete darkness, nursing the worst migraine I’ve ever experienced in my life.  As a result, I was up into the wee hours of the morning laying in bed just thinking. I decided it was a perfect time to reflect, a perfect time to write.  I thought about the beautiful cedar cross my husband made me for Christmas and it got me thinking of the resurrection.  Whenever I think of the resurrection I am reminded of the many instances in life where we experience difficulties, mini crucifixions and I’m comforted by the fact that what comes after the crucifixion is the resurrection and it is GLORIOUS!

As I pondered that thought I realized that all life is made up of crucifixions and resurrections.  In our own personal lives, we may experience illness, loss and difficulties of all sorts.  These experiences serve to break us open, they force us to change in some way, to learn a valuable lesson, which in turn leads us to become a better version of ourselves  if we’re open to it, if we’re paying attention.  In our spiritual lives, if we choose to grow, we do away with our “false” selves (ego driven, operating from the mind) in order to make room for our “true” selves (spirit driven, operating from the heart).  In nature we see the changes in seasons, a sense of shedding the old and then blossoming into magnificence when the time is right.  Through nature we learn the importance of “letting go and letting God” – we learn that God always provides and not just in small ways.  In nature, we see the possibility of renewal after devastation.  The ability of pine trees to reseed after a forest fire, the appearance of super fertile farmland resulting from years of flooding (as in Orange County’s Black Dirt Region).

When I look at the cross, made from a dead cedar tree on my property, I recognize the sacrifice.  I recognize that although the tree no longer has life flowing through it, its uses still live on, the tree still serves a purpose.  Although it is “dead”, the aroma is superb and the beauty of the bark is beyond compare.  This cedar still has value!  From this epiphany I realize ALL of creation is worthy of respect, it all has a purpose, it all has value, it’s all meant to be cherished.  These thoughts then remind me of all the people in this world who feel surrounded by darkness, who feel worthless, who feel like they have no purpose.  To them I say, YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!  You are made in the image and likeness of God!  God created all things and He created all things good!  As a child of God, you are surrounded by light, you are worthy and you have a purpose!  We all have a touch of the divine in us, claim your inheritance!

My heart skips a beat when I contemplate God’s grace, the free and unmerited favor of God.  What a gift of God’s grace to be able to experience life aware of the Spirit within and around me.  Paul says in his letter to the Romans:  “for those who live according to the flesh are concerned with things of the flesh, but those who living according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.  The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace. And so it is, although the cedar tree is “dead” for all intents and purposes, it’s been resurrected by the production of this beautiful cross – simple yet majestic.  My focus nowadays is on the positive, not on death but on life – proof to me of life lived according to the spirit, which brings me great peace!

What difficulties are you experiencing at this moment?  Where are you focusing your attention?  Do you stop at the crucifixion?  Have you forgotten how the story ends?  Victory awaits!  Allow the Spirit to take hold. Trust in the advocate Jesus has sent for us!  Don’t concern yourself with death (negativity) but concern yourself with life and peace (positivity and light)!  Happy New Year, may this year be one of great light!  Peace, health and happiness to all!  God bless  you!

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