When our pipes froze, I wasn’t afraid in any major way, although I felt a tad of anxiety at the possibility of some flooding. Thankfully, however, I didn’t fret about this little thing. God protected me; may I remember to be not afraid when a big thing comes along. There is no difference; God shows no partiality.
Our downstairs pipes have thawed and water is running in the kitchen sink. When it happened, I was grateful—well, for a moment--but I quickly forgot about the inconvenience. ‘Fear not,’ we read. In fact, someone has conveniently counted some form of be not afraid 365 times in the Bible. No question, fear has been around a long time and is still very popular among us humans, but we seem to forget it when the good times roll.
When our pipes froze, I wasn’t afraid in any major way, although I felt a tad of anxiety at the possibility of some flooding. Thankfully, however, I didn’t fret about this little thing. God protected me; may I remember to be not afraid when a big thing comes along. There is no difference; God shows no partiality.
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Again, I am sharing this acottagebythesea post (for people who are looking for silence, silence, and solitude and who sometimes like to be alone) with you who read my aprayerdiary (thoughts about prayer and my Christian journey). Sometimes I wonder about keeping up this blog—like right now, and especially during the past two weeks since my return from Scotland. While on my trips, I feel I have something to share about solitary travel, as well as pictures of far away place to delight my armchair traveling readers. But when I get home, a writing lull sets in; I don’t need the socializing that writing offers me when I’m alone. And then, what do I have to say that is new, interesting, or worthwhile? Here are some quick answers that just came to mind as I wrote that question. Writing helps me figure out what I’m doing and why; posting gives me meaning and purpose. If that’s true for me, it must be true for you who read the blog (over 100 a day). You must be gleaning something from my thoughts about silence, solitude, and simplicity. I knows some of you, but not many. I like to believe that this blog joins us together mysteriously in positive ways, if for no other reason that I am committed to write from a seat of gratitude with a cup half full always by my side. Here’s my Christian thoughts on the topic. For a moment, let us consider that Jesus’ ministry was a kind of blogging. In preaching to the crowds, he did two things that resonate with my purpose in speaking out. He was trying to figure out what God was calling him to do and be out in the world— his meaning and purpose. And, he was sharing with others what he believed to be of value and benefit for them—their meaning and purpose. Did Jesus ever wanted to stop his ministry? I don’t have an answer to that, but scripture tells us that it was hard work. The good news for all of us is that Jesus tells us to go off by ourselves, to spend time alone with God, and to pray. I’m on the train from Rome to Florence thinking about all the gratitudes I feel, and renewing my commitment to start they day expressing them and to continue to do so throughout the day. A good model is St. Paul, who began and ended his letters giving thanks. It’s a good habit, and habits come with practice. Another model comes from a friend of mine who, in emailing about some challenging changes in her life, started by expressing gratitude by naming specific things her friends had done for her. Today I am thankful for a safe flight and early arrival in Rome: that my hotel room was ready; that I enjoyed taking the bus to Castel Sant’Angelo and the Pantheon: that I have the stamina to walk and a good digestive system to enjoy tagliatelle with shrimp and zucchini: that things work out well in my life so I can take these solitary trips. Hmm, those graitudes are all about me. I desire to expand these beyond myself and into the wider world. As a start, I’m grateful that the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome has declared itself to be a sanctuary for refugees. Awareness comes with prayer. This morning as I started thinking about what I was grateful for, Paul’s message in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 came to mind. “Be thankful in all circumstances….” All circumstances, he tell us. Really? It’s easy to be grateful for a beautiful day or good things happening in my life, but what about the tough times? I don’t think Paul is suggesting that we love everything that happens. Rather, I believe he is asking us to see the possibilities of good in whatever takes place. He’s asking us to take a deeper, more nuanced look, and give it time. Jesus’ followers couldn’t have been thankful as they watched their friend on the cross. They didn’t know the good news that was to follow. In the moment it is impossible to be thankful for physical and emotional pain. God’s invitation to be thankful in all circumstances invites us to live in God’s kingdom, not our own, which means to wait out God’s plan with hope. This morning I’m thinking of a difficult situation that I am a part of and trying to be thankful for the ways that God is shining through it. I woke up this Thanksgiving day remembering my mom, who began each day offering gratitude for family, her health, and her life; and my dad, who, as we stood around the table, offering a toast to family and friends not present with us. Sometimes gratitude starts as a way to cover up sadness and fear; at least that can be so for me. But then I hear God still speaking, shifting me away from the pettiness of today’s problems. I am aware that that can sound like a privileged position, but it’s the best I can do to start the prayers of compassion flowing. Prayers for immigrants, the GLBTQ community, the unemployed and underemployed, for those effected by war, and for those have trouble being grateful for family, health and their life. Thanks Mom and Dad for give me a lift today. Every morning I receive “A Word for the Day” from A Network for Grateful Living ,www.gratefulness.org>. Today’s offered just the spark I needed on this grey day as I settle back at home after two weeks in Florence. Off I go. I love the idea of being a shepherd. Be a lamp or a lifeboat or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd. Rumi This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it! Psalm 118: 24 This is word of the week offered by a e-course I’m taking. Well, this is the day the Lord has made and I am ready to rejoice in it in spite of the winter wonderland out there. Church this morning and flight to Florence, via Munich at 5PM. All is well and all will be well. Very grateful. This Thanksgiving season it seems that expressing gratitude is the major theme out there in the public world. It ought to be, given the name of the holiday, but this year it is taking hold in a new way, as if it were a new idea. Undoubtedly some of this has to do with the fear brought to consciousness by the terrorism in Paris less than two weeks ago. I smile, because Mom always knew that gratitude was the foundation of faith. She was on the cutting edge! Every morning she would express gratitude for ‘my health, my family, and for my life.’ She also prayed for peace in the world, and for difficult situations around the world. So this morning, I suggest you offer the same prayer. Pray for your health, family, your life and for the world. Even it things aren’t perfect, which of course they aren’t, find the good things, and lift them up to God with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is upon us and as you know, gratitude isfoundational to my life, the gift my mom gave me and so many others. We can be thankful, grateful, however you want to phrase it, in personal prayer, but what about expressing it out in the world? Sharing gratitude changes us, changes others, changes the world. Arthur C. Brooks, in “Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier” (NYT, November 21, 2015), offers some suggestions, but please, read the entire text. • Acting happy, regardless of feelings, coaxes one’s brain into processing positive emotions. • Choosing to focus on good things makes you feel better than focusing on bad things. • Choosing gratitude can also bring out the best in those around us. • Move to “exterior gratitude.” Write two short emails each morning to friends, family or colleagues, thanking them for what they do. • Be grateful for useless things. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/choose-to-be-grateful-it-will-make-you-happier.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share Am posting this on my cottagebythesea blog as well. Here’s a little spiritual practice that I have started while in Florence. Whenever I think a negative, judgmental, cynical thought, I stop and shift to a gratitude. For example, yesterday I passed a store displaying a leather golf bag, with a sign that said in English, “Do not touch!” Negative thoughts—“Who would want such a bag that is too expensive and too heavy to carry around the golf course? People are trying to buy happiness.” “Stop. Thank you, God, that I can afford to be here in this beautiful city.” It is an huge challenge to erase thoughts that continually float into my consciousness. I keep forgetting but, as the saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”I keep trying because I believe that they are toxic to prayer, not to mention that they prevent me from loving my neighbor as myself. |
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