Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love,
When we come to live in our bodies as a true expression of who we are, we can be present to others. As our body is an integral part of ourselves, we can trust it and listen to its language. That gives us confidence to be free to claim our unique place in life as God’s gift to us. It will also help us to discern with our whole being the value of other people’s experiences and appreciate them without desiring to imitate them. We won’t need to compare but walk our own unique way, not in isolation but with the awareness that we don’t have to worry whether others are pleased or not. A new spirituality is being born in us and we can trust that it will find shape within us. We may admire other spiritualities practiced by people we admire but they may not fit our unique call. Their experiences do not have to match our own. But we can trust our own unique vocation and allow it to grow deeper and stronger so it can blossom and bless others. Look at Rembrandt and Gogh. They trusted their vocations and did not allow anyone to lead them astray. They didn’t bend over backwards to please their friends but left humanity with gifts that can heal the minds and hearts of many generations. Let us trust that we have a unique vocation that is worth claiming and living out faithfully.
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