Henri Nouwen once said in a sermon:
When
you are able to create a lonely place in the middle of your actions and
concerns, your successes and failures slowly can lose some of their power over
you. For then your love for this world can merge with a compassionate
understanding of its illusions. Then your serious engagement can merge with an
unmasking smile. Then your concern for others can be motivated more by their
needs than your own. In short: then you can care. Let us therefore live our
lives to the fullest but let us not forget to once in a while get up long
before dawn to leave the house and go to a lonely place. (Sermon text: Mark 1:32-39)
The past 48 hours I have been alone
in a “Monk’s Quarters.” With comforts, I add. It belongs to friends who loan it
to friends who need a come-away-spot. It is a gift I love – not only for the
place itself, but because Denis encourages and supports my being in a place here
where I find renewal. Even when I’m not even sure I’m doing the right things to
make renewal happen. Like HOW early do I need to rise? Is sleeping in allowed? How
much time in prayer? How many pages of serious reading before I
can pick up that NYT Best Seller? Can I just stare over the balcony listening
to bird song for as long as I want?
Tracking spiritual growth is
difficult. Maybe we’re not meant to
“track” it as though it were the Prime Interest Rate. Becoming more holy seems
to happen when we’re not looking. Like the tiny wood anemone I saw yesterday as
I sat on a bench in the woods. It is so diminutive it is barely noticeable.
Suddenly your eyes focus and there it was all along.
Despite my shotgun approach to time
away, God meets me with kindness; my successes and failures do lose some of
their power and I can smile at them, letting them go. Then, for a while at
least, I am ready to crack back into everyday life.
I wish I could give the same
experience to so many of you who have little choice, being where you are with
your obligations. But if the chance arises. Don’t hesitate! Grab it. Thanks for
stopping by and for thinking along with me. Hoping/praying you have strength for days ahead.
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| Wood Anemone, Root River. Among first forest flowers to bloom in spring. |
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| Wood Anemone. About 1/2" in diameter. |
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10 comments:
Margie:
So glad your time there was sweet, and will be glad to welcome you home where your absence has been noticed.
Love you
Denis
Whew. I first read "where" as "when." Got it straight now.
NOTE! The blue font? I don't know WHERE that came from but am trying to change it, before it sucks all the good out of time away.
Thank God for wise husbands who see the importance of time away! She is wise who heeds such a husband!
I also read "when" until I read your reply, Margie. You are not alone. I DID think it was a bold comment and admired the safety and confidence you have in each other that a sarcastic tone would be interpreted correctly.
Is coming away being in a hotel room catching up on neglected treasures/pleasures like reading friend's blogs? Please say yes.
LvO, of course, yes. But not so much if you worked all day, which you did.
Beautiful flowers! It's wild flowers out of unexpected places that I love to take pictures of, instead of perfectly-aligned ones in somebody's garden. I so wish that I was a better driver, in order to be able to make U-turns on the road, to take pictures of gorgeous wild flowers even on the side of roads. But unfortunately, my poor driving will only get me, my camera, and my car into doomdom, if I tried. So happy for you that you got to see these pretty flowers to brighten your day!
Stephie, I agree. The unexpected and misaligned flower - much like the way God works in our lives. I love this about Christianity.
Now. About your driving..... yes, there is a bit of history there.
Sounds like a sweet time away. And such good encouragement not to track our spiritual growth - something I am prone to do in all aspects of life. I've never really outgrown the allure of the gold star on the chart from elementary school.
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