Devotions from Henri Nouwen’s book, The Inner Voice of Love

Today’s devotional is on the unique presence we each have in our community.  Different people have different ways of being present to their community and it is important that we know and claim our way.  Once we have this inner knowledge, it will help us decide what to do and what to let go of, what to say and what to remain silent about etc.  When we get exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, or run down, our body is saying that we are doing things that are none of our business. God does not require of us what is beyond our ability and leads us away from Him. God wants us to live for others and to live that presence well. Doing so might include suffering and fatigue but none of this would ever pull us away from our deepest self and God.  When we find our place in our community, we can be deeply present to the people around us and speak words that come from God in us. We need time and space to let His vision for us mature in us and become an integral part of our being.