Holy Week, Monday - Little Lessons

Image by fradaveccs via Flickr

"We are all your blessed Body, 

and you have always loved me precisely in my unworthiness.  

How can I not do the same to others?"

Quote from Richard Rohr - Hope Against Darkness p.38

Reading the daily devotion from Richard Rohr, I was struck by the above sentence in relation to something I've been harboring "against myself" for the past week or so......case in point - I desperately needed a parking place for a meeting (I happened to be running a little late) and as I searched  slowly, cautiously, a pickup truck roared up behind me, right on my tail - he tooapparently in a hurry.  Allowing myself to be pressured into stepping on the gas, I inadvertently pulled past a very open, vacant spot - which I noted in my rearview mirror was immediately taken by my pickup friend!  

I declared to myself quite loudly, I was alone in the car, just what I thought about this young fellow AND IMMEDIATELY thought, .........what was I thinking blurting out such a rude declaration?!!!  I'm supposed to be a child of God, the other driver the same - what made me blurt out that hatefulness, that uncalculated venom against a stranger?  Would I have said the same thing if another meeting member that I knew well had taken what I perceived as my parking spot?  I doubt it.  

That lesson hit me squarely, I mean I'm still thinking about it two weeks later - I'm praying that's the last time such rudeness regarding a stranger and their actions will pass from my lips or even through my mind.  If I can only treat strangers as friends, or neighbors as myself.....mmmmm, sounds familiar doesn't it? 

Prayer for Release

As I journaled this a.m. I prayed for release.  "Release from what?!" you might ask - "You're on Maui for heavens sake!"  Well, we've been here alone, spouse and I, for about 9 days - most of the time we agree on the activities for the day, the evening, when to sleep and to eat.....but a new dynamic arrived last evening - and that was my sister, brother-in-law and two teens.  My spouse's sister and brother-in-law will arrive this evening so things will become a little more complicated.

Don't get me wrong, these visitors/family are the easiest to entertain or to just BE with of any people I know.  The release for me is that I let go of my compulsion to control - relax, release.  Relax, release, enjoy these precious moments with many of those that I hold dearest in my life.  There does have to be some planning, like food but mostly I need to remember that I am not personally responsible for their having a good time.  They would not have me fret over any detail, whether or not we snorkel, or dine out, or drive to a far beach.  The teens will enjoy, they will have fun in ways I could never imagine.  We all will have fun and the laughter and the joy of our love will convince me once more that release, release, release of control is freeing:))  I must remember above all to SAVOR the joy of this family I love and treasure!

Winter Grace here in springtime -

Revisiting a favorite study book Winter Grace again this morning during and after my prayer time, I came upon this quote about prayer - p. 35 -

"We cannot judge the value of our prayer by how we feel during it. If we open ourselves to a relationship with God, it will affect all our life."

Author Kathleen Fischer goes on to say, "Noises and concerns, what we sometimes call distractions, are simply reminders that we never pray for ourselves alone. We can lift persons and concerns to God as they come into our awareness. We may think that prayer means setting aside all else in order to think only about God; thoughts or feelings that are not pious or religious are distractions. However, prayer is a loving relationship with God that catches up all of life, not just a part of it. God is even more concerned than we are with every aspect of our lives: relationships with our families, new friendships, financial worries, physical pain."

I studied this book with a spiritual formation group that gathers weekly for prayer and discussion. We felt so strongly about the author's words that we spent quite a long while on a 200 page book. I find that personally I have internalized much of this book and no clearer is that to me than in my morning prayers. I am able to center and meditate for a short period of time but the majority of the prayer time is just silent surrender to those prayers for persons, the world, our community, my church, my children and grandchildren, my spouse, myself - in other words the seeming distractions that I bring consciously or unconsciously before God.

Are you able to block out the world in your prayer time? Totally focused? Somewhat distracted? Frustrated? Are you comfortable with Ms. Fischer's words about distraction and is the idea a new one to you or one with which you feel comfortable?

Photo - SS Enhanced Monoprint/Fall 2008