Category: Sister Judy (Page 237 of 271)

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

As Christians we have the resurrection power at work in us. This power enables us to accept pain and to discover that we are not alone. It helps us to stand fast in our present circumstances and grow as a result.   Even when tragedy alters our direction in life, we can experience His resurrection power. Every day we are being reshaped into His image. Everything that happens to us is designed to this end and nothing exists beyond the pale of His presence.  Nothing is irrelevant to it and nothing is without significance to it. Through union with Him nothing is wasted. Everything great and small, important and unimportant, distant and near has meaning and value.  “There is never a moment that does not carry eternal significance-no action that is sterile, no love that lacks fruition, and no prayer that is unheard.”   Let us walk in this freedom and power.

Yesterday I went for a walk to the Point for a time of reflectionby the Lake.  On the way home I noticed a road sign that showed the winding road and curves ahead. I thought how great it would be if our journey was like that and we could know what is ahead. But of course we don’t and would that be good?  Would we then be quiet and listen to Him in trust? So often we go to the Lord telling Him we need this or that, or even just tell Him we are His child. But He already knows that and knows our heart and intention far better than we do. How much better it would be to sit in quietness with Him and remember that He prays within us. Sometimes I wonder if the Lord doesn’t want to just hush us up so He can communicate to us in our inmost being.  As I read today from Michael Molinos, “The transformation of your soul consists not in speaking to God nor in thinking on God, but in loving Him greatly.”  He goes on to say this is acquired by silence of our words, silence of our desires and silence of our thoughts.  Today in our women’s class the leader had us close our eyes and listen to the Word she read, followed by sharing what spoke to us.  I think I received more today than many other studies that were so full of information. The Lord wants to guide us to the place where He alone communicates Himself to us. It is in that place that I believe He transforms our soul!

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat.

How childlike are we in our walk of faith?  Jesus said , “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.”  Matt. 18:3-5.

 As we think of the characteristics of a child he is so open, trusting, dependent, playful, simple, sensitive to feelings, open to new ideas and surprises of the Spirit,  and risky for opportunities for growth.
The gospel of grace is that of a child who has never experienced anything but love and who tries to do his best because he is loved. Even when mistakes are made he knows he doesn’t jeopardize the love of the parent.  Therese of Lisieux  said that we should be as a little child in that we recognize our nothingness, expecting everything from God. We don’t need to get disheartened by our faults because like children we fall too, but are too little to hurt ourselves much.   Later in life a child may accomplish a lot but it comes from the overflow of being loved, not to gain approval.  We are loved not because we deserve His love, not because we try, but simply because He has chosen to love us. He loves us just as we are and calls us by name!!

Devotions from Brennan Mannings book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

Often we feel like we are wasting time when we aren’t doing something productive and accomplishing something. We may feel guilty and selfish when we take time to go off alone.  But spending time in quiet before God is not wasting time but a time when we grow in awareness of our identity of His beloved.  It is not possible to know another person intimately without spending time together.  It is like water that needs to settle. When we are constantly in the midst of others we can’t see ourselves as we really are because of all the confusion and disturbance. But as we slow down and wait we come to know ourselves better and the sacredness of others.  We connect best with others when we connect with the core of ourselves. We can listen to others more attentively and love them more unselfishly. We can speak and act with greater strength, to forgive rather than nurse wounds, to focus on the things that really matter, and to actually have more energy. So let us not feel guilty when we make room for silence and solitude and let Him tell us how very loved we are.

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

The author’s spiritual director told Manning to define himself radically as one beloved by God.  God’s love for each of us constitutes our worth. We need to accept that and let it become the most important thing in our lives.  The basis of our personal worth is not in possessions, our talents, the esteem of others, our reputation, or the applause of everyone telling us how important we are… we are anchored in God before whom we stand naked. And He says to us, “You are my beloved one.”  Our false self draws identity from past achievements and adulation of others, but the true self claims identity in being His beloved.  Let us encounter God in our ordinariness of life and at the core of our existence. If we draw life and meaning from any other source than this, we are not spiritually alive. May we hear His whisper to our ears that we matter to Him for He loves us just as we are.

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

So often we want to present a perfect image to others that they may admire us but consequently they don’t know us. Augustine wrote, “There can only be two basic loves, the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness of God.”  When we refuse to live out of our authentic self and refuse to be our true self even with God, we will lack intimacy with Him.   We need to accept the reality of our sinfulness which means accepting our true self. Judas could not face his shadow; Peter could.  When we accept the truth of what we really are and surrender it to him, we will be enveloped in peace. We can burn the old tapes of self-centeredness and let go of our fear of the Father and dislike of ourselves. We belong to Him! The more we are in His presence, the less we will need to have the adulation of others. He is enough! In His presence we can discover the joy of living by grace and not by performance. . We can speak honestly to Him any time, any place, under any circumstance. We don’t have to wear masks but come to Him dirty and ragged and in our brokenness. He will embrace us.

Devotions based on Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

The author said that what is denied cannot be healed. If we remain in hiding and deny the reality of our sin, we deprive the community of our healing gift. “In Love’s service, only wounded soldiers can serve.” ( Thorton Wilder)   If we conceal our wounds, out of fear or shame, our inner darkness cannot be illuminated or become a light for others. But when we dare to live as forgiven people, we join the wounded healers and draw closer to Him. The art of gentleness toward ourselves leads us to be gentle with others.  Henry Nouwen implies that grace and healing are communicated through vulnerability and brokenness. Just like AA members who don’t forget their brokenness are able to bring healing to others and lighten their pain. Our own pain and sadness makes us aware of our inner poverty so that Christ can pour his healing into the empty space inside us.  Like Paul we can say that we can boast in our weakness that the power of God would be seen.  ( II Cor. 12:9)

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

God wants us to stop hiding and openly come to Him.  Why do we hide what we feel ourselves to be ( which we assume is unacceptable) and put on the appearance of what we are not?  God loves who we really are—whether we like it or not, and calls us to come out of hiding into a safe place. No amount of spiritual posturing makes us more presentable to Him. To feel safe is to stop living in our heads and sink down into our hearts and to feel accepted. It is feeling relaxed without need to impress and with out self-consciousness. All we do is to surrender our poverty and acknowledge our nothingness before Him.  Whether we understand it or not He loves us, He is present to us, He lives in us, He calls us, He saves us, He offers us compassion and love. Let us experience that we are the one He loves!

Devotions from Brennan Manning’s book, The Rabbi’s Heartbeat

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are.” I John 3:1

 The Father doesn’t want us to be perfect but real. Yet at times we try so hard to please God and impress others that the energy is sucked right out of us. We want to present a perfect image but it leaves us feeling brittle, lifeless and fruitless. We need a divine transfusion, and to know that He is for us not against us.  He wants to cut away our hypocrisy so that vitality can come to our souls. As we accept ourselves and receive His love, then we can revel in His grace. God’s sorrow is our fear of him, our fear of life, and our fear of ourselves. He longs to draw us into His embrace as His beloved child.  No matter what our past has been or our present we can come back to the shelter of His love. Thomas Merton said, ”Quit keeping score altogether and surrender yourself with all your sinfulness to God who sees neither the score nor the scorekeeper but only His child redeemed by Christ.”

Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book, The Contented Soul

“Our ultimate happiness is not found in external circumstances but in a trust that we are made for eternity.” God is present with us now but one day we will be brought into His direct presence. In the meantime we may go through suffering which may allow us to identify with His suffering and the pain that exists all around us. When we experience these times we learn the sufficiency of His grace and come to know Him as our ultimate source of peace. This life is only our beginning and what a future we have to look forward to. We can choose to live joyfully which takes some courage. Henry Nouwen said that the reward of choosing joy is joy itself. If we choose to claim joy hidden in the midst of suffering, life becomes a celebration.  “Joy never denies the sadness, but transforms it into fertile soil for more joy.”  We don’t’ deny the darkness, but we can choose not to live in it. Even a little bit of light can dispel a lot of darkness.

Let us choose joy and a willingness and desire to pursue contentment in spite of our circumstance.