by Liz | Sep 18, 2008 | main
I’ve not been in a reflective mood of late. But, Sunday, I was back at mass at St. Mary’s and, as happens on most Sundays, the homily caused me to stop and reflect.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Fr. Jack said the homily was still in the making. He got stuck at the word “gave” and proceeded to reflect on the gift – the gift of God’s Son. But through the weekend (I was at the last english mass), he had asked for reflections from the congregation… and so the homily grew.
“It’s not fully a gift until it is received.”
“A gift doesn’t have to be a thing – sometimes it’s a comment. Sometimes it’s just letting someone know that you are thinking of them.” (that from a 15 year old).
“He gave His Son – even to the point of giving him up to death. That has to be one of the hardest things for a parent to do.” (This from an oncology nurse, who has lost a child of her own.)
But, one that hit closest to home for me was the observation that John 3:16 is followed by John 3:17 – that’s the part that gets skipped… For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world…
If Jesus didn’t condemn, I’d better be careful about my own judging and condemning. If Jesus doesn’t condemn, then when I judge others harshly and condemn them, I am not walking with Him. And, I am so good at lying to myself about the times I do that. When I am angry with someone because they didn’t live up to my hopes and expectations it seems that I try to convince myself that I am not judging. But I am. I’m holding that person up to my standards and my expectations and finding them lacking. Condemnation.
Better I should simply love them where they are. Not so easy. But definitely easier than being judge and jury.
by Liz | Sep 13, 2008 | main
I’m home again.
I’ve been reminded that the most peaceful, glorious place to be is with a baby and/or toddler asleep in your arms. The world is right; the universe is right; God is present. It creates the sense of resting in God – or perhaps God resting with you.
by Liz | Sep 11, 2008 | main
I’m sitting here in the quiet – I’ve been listening to the Hallelujah song from Shrek with Lily, but she’s gone off to play group and I have an hour or so to just sit and be.
I must admit to some apprehension when I was on my way down to spend the week. My daughter-in-law and I had never had the time or space to just be together before this week. My son is in some training, so we’ve not seen him since Monday.
It’s been a gift – this time and space. Just the girls – us and the 2 little ones. We’ve have a chance to visit, to get to know each other a bit better. Not even the man who is our link to one another has been around. We’ve worked out how to deal with a 23 month old and a 1 month old… feeding them (well, I can’t help wih Ella), changing diapers, going to eat, making dinner.
Yesterday was a bit of a test. I had a time of concern when she took the girls and went off with a friend for a few hours in the afternoon. And, I obviously wasn’t invited. It seems that we have very similar basic personalities — and after talking about needing space, it seems we both did. No harm, no foul.
And so, I’m just sort of reflecting — getting to know another person, or the Lord takes time and attention. It takes a sort of letting go. It takes allowing the Other to be fully Herself/Himself. It takes accepting that it not all about me.
Thank you Lord for Now.
by Liz | Sep 5, 2008 | main
WordPress.com has this option to show “possibly related links.” And, Creo en Dios! is a WordPress.com blog… which brings me to reading Susan’s blog, and finding a “possibly related link” to a guy who’s hot to discredit Ekhart Tolle… and a posting about “Who do you say I am?” (among others).
So, lacking wisdom or restraint I started reading not only his posts, but the extensive responses. Whoa!
It all comes back to what does scripture/Jesus/you/me mean with that cryptic little two word phrase – “I Am.” I get twisted up in the arguments (polite discourse, but arguments nevertheless.) In the Old Testament, “I Am” is the way God references God. Jesus uses the phrase from time to time… Let’s see, I think it’s in John’s Gospel (I’ll have to look this up) – He says something like “before Abraham was, I Am.” And we all know – “I Am the way, the truth and the life.”
But the discussions over on ProlepticLife keep circling back on is “I Am” something/someone else – God – or is “I Am” to be found in me? Not my problem, says I. “I Am” is definitely God, the source of all creation. Oh, wait, “I Am” is found deep inside myself, when I take the time to go into that secret room (the one where Jesus tells me to go to pray). It seems that most of the orthodox Christians on that site are convinced that looking for “I Am” inside myself is going to lead me astray.
It seems to me that believing that God is present in “I AM” that is the core of my being rings true. If I am God’s child, if God created me (with the assistance of my parents), then, just a I am made up of the same stuff as my parents (that being the nature of life), then there must be a bit of God that resides at the core of my being. I am not the same as my parents, but I spring from the essence of their being, just as I spring from essence of the Creator of Life.
Neat.
by Liz | Sep 4, 2008 | main
Yesterday afternoon provided me the opportunity to observe just how impatient I really am. As I sat through a 2 hours and 45 minute departmental meeting (which could have been completed in an hour, to be honest), I found myself scribbling notes along the lines of
Patience is a virtue, or so I’ve been told. But right now, if I had a couple of socks, I think I could fix this problem…
I practiced the “Am I breathing” technique for stepping back from the situation. It did allow me to step back, but in the process of becoming more awake and aware, the voices just got louder. Things that needed to be resolved by 2 or 3 people being aired out in front of 7 or 8. Talk, talk, no real action.
Made me start to wonder how God might feel about me sometimes. So much talk. So many plans. Anything to avoid real change or real action. Discuss the past, dream of the future, but forget being present right now (which is really all we have).
I survived. I didn’t embarrass myself, or stuff a sock in anyone’s mouth. We did reach some conclusions, and made some lists of tasks to be accomplished.
Lord, please be more patient with me than I am with others…
by Liz | Aug 25, 2008 | main
*The university shut down at 11 am today (tornadoes, rugged weather – the remnants of Fay). Nice day to reflect on all that I am grateful for.
- For my youngest child’s graduation from college
- For the same son getting a job almost immediately, doing something it seems he will really like working at
- For the fact that Ella (granddaughter) arrived ahead of Tropical Storm Fay
- That my son (Ella’s daddy) and his family survived Fay without damage or flooding (they live in Melbourne, where Fay camped for days
- That my daughter and her husband sold their house (and are in the process of buying one in a new town)
- For rain! Rain that can help the Southeast move past drought conditions. Keep raining!
- For safety from nearby tornados
- For Fr. Alex who filled in for our pastor for the past 3 weeks
- For good friends
- For my sisters in Christ (and their funny emails)
Unusual for me – I could go on and on.
Amen.
