Willingness

14 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

LORD , you have examined me. You know me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up. Even from far away, you comprehend my plans. You study my traveling and resting. You are thoroughly familiar with all my ways. There isn’t a word on my tongue, LORD, that you don’t already know completely. ~Psalm 139:1-4 (CEB)

“Willingness is the opposite of willfulness, being full of our own will and ways and the satisfaction in being self-made or self-controlled persons. Willingness to be aware and willingness in general are prerequisites for spiritual direction. Willingness is a chose position of vulnerability that recognizes we are ordinary being in need of God’s love, companionship, and guidance. It includes our acknowledgement that we are not all we would like to be or all that God hopes for us and points toward our desire to hear and follow the Spirit’s invitations even when it means giving up our ways in favor of what we perceive as God’s ways.

When we are even a little bit honest, we recognize that our measure of willingness varies depending on what is being asked of us and by whom. Some of God’s opportunities seem to offer pleasurable outcomes. Surrender to these requests is easy. But there are times when the Spirit invites or simply takes us into unfamiliar territory either inwardly or outwardly. Then we may feel decidedly uneasy about following. God’s love and intentions are larger and farther reaching than we realized. They extend beyond the kind of people we are used to and the kinds of problems, possibilities and joys that are familiar to us.” ~From Holy Invitations by Jeanette A. Bakke

Heavenly Father, it is my wish that You find me this day not in willful disobedience but with a willing heart to do Your will. Search my heart. May You find it free of “self”. Help me be more vulnerable for Your love, companionship and guidance this day. My desire is to follow Your invitation where ever it may lead me. Amen.

Ordinary sacredness

11 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

What do workers gain from all their hard work? I have observed the task that God has given human beings. God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts, without enabling them to discover what God has done from beginning to end.

I know that there’s nothing better for them but to enjoy themselves and do what’s good while they live. Moreover, this is the gift of God: that all people should eat, drink, and enjoy the results of their hard work. ~Eccl. 3:9-13

It is easy to overlook everyday life and everyday experiences and think that there is nothing special to them. They are just ordinary. But even in the ordinariness of life I can find sacred moments. Letting a dog out for a friend, “refueling” my son with a hug, coffee with a friend or a walk with my husband can all be sacred moments. Joan Puls in her book, Every Bush is Burning recognizes these moments in her life too.

“I feel an urgency at this stage of my life to name the human expressions and vivid manifestations of our life in the Spirit. I believe that nothing human is foreign to the Spirit, that the Spirit embraces all. Our mundane experiences contain all the stuff of holiness and of human growth in grace. Our world is rife with messages and signatures of the Spirit. Our encounters with one another are potential sites of the awakening and energizing that characterize the Spirit. But the light that shines through the tiny chinks and the dusty panes of our daily lives. We are too busy to name the event that is blessed in its ordinariness, holy in its uniqueness, and grace-filled in its underlying challenge.”

Heavenly Father, help me to see the sacredness of everyday life. Help me to see the simple encounters with others as moments with you. May I not be too busy to see the blessings You send my way today. Amen.

The song of my heart

06 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , ,

After these things, the Lord commissioned seventy-two others and sent them on ahead in pairs to every city and place he was about to go. He said to them, “The harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest. Go! Be warned, though, that I’m sending you out as lambs among wolves. Carry no wallet, no bag, and no sandals. Don’t even greet anyone along the way. Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house.’ If anyone there shares God’s peace, then your peace will rest on that person. If not, your blessing will return to you. Remain in this house, eating and drinking whatever they set before you, for workers deserve their pay. Don’t move from house to house. Whenever you enter a city and its people welcome you, eat what they set before you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘God’s kingdom has come upon you.’ ~Luke 10:1-9 (CEB)

“Once I asked my confessor for advice about my vocation. I asked, ‘How can I know if God is calling me and for what he is calling me?’

He answered, ‘You will know by your happiness. If you are happy with the idea that God calls you to serve him and your neighbor, this will be the proof of your vocation. Profound joy of the heart is like a magnet that indicates the path of life. One has to follow it, even though one enters into a way full of difficulties.’” ~From My Life for the Poor by Mother Teresa

I have a dream deep in my heart. It won’t go away. It isn’t happening quickly but as long as I stay on a path toward that goal my heart sings. As time drags by it is hard not to question if I really am not on the right path, but then I have to remember: Joseph waited 13 years, Abraham waited 25 years, Moses waited 40 years and Jesus waited 30 years. I have to remember “He is working all things out”. I just simply have to remain faithful.

Heavenly Father, when doubt creeps in, keep reminding me the direction I should take. The song of my heart is to follow you. May I ever stay near the Source of my joy. Amen.  

The direction to take

05 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age. ” ~Matthew 28:18-21 (CEB)

“According to the final verses of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus met the disciples to give them direction and the promise of his presence. The Bible is filled with stories of people who received direction from God. Through the centuries, faithful disciples have discovered some essential qualities for the life and stance that permits us to receive God’s direction.

Practicing a preference for God and God’s will is the place to begin. That means putting God ahead of all else in our list of priorities. This is not only the way to receive direction but also the way to a joyful and faithful walk with God every day. Preference for God profoundly affects our lives. We not only receive direction but find our lives transformed as we learn to turn to God and seek to walk with God.

This kind of companionship with God leads to a life of trust and confidence in God that permits us to receive and respond to God’s whisper of direction. Do you want to live increasingly in God’s presence, receive God’s direction, and walk in God’s presence? Begin practicing a preference for God and you will discover a growing capacity to receive and respond to God’s direction of your life.” ~From A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God, Rueben P. Job

Almighty God, You have created me, called me, chosen me to be Your child. I wait now to receive Your word of guidance and blessing. Grant me the ears to hear, eyes to see, and faith to respond to Your love and leadership. In the name of Christ. Amen

Are you catchin’ anything?

04 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

When they finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Simon replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.” He asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.”

Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. I assure you that when you were younger you tied your own belt and walked around wherever you wanted. When you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and another will tie your belt and lead you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to show the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. After saying this, Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.” ~John 21:15-19 (CEB)

“Thinking all is lost after the crucifixion, some of the disciples go fishing on the Sea of Tiberius- a dismal, depressing fishing expedition. Hot, naked, and exhausted, the disciples try valiantly to return to the way things were before they met Jesus. Suddenly a voice from the shore (big rock thrown here): ‘Catchin’ anything?’ ‘Nah,’ they shout back, more depressed then ever. ‘Then try the other side of the boat!’ the voice yells again. Peter stands up to see who this wise guy is. Wait no, it can’t be- but, yes, it is: the Lord! Suddenly Peter can’t move fast enough. He leaps into the water, and swims to shore, leaving the others to haul in a miraculous catch. His faith grows three sizes in a matter of minutes. The boundaries of what he thinks God can do explode, and his love and gratitude for what God is doing in Jesus Christ, the Lord of Life, is simply too large to fit in the boat anymore.” ~From The Godbearing Life by Kendal Creasy Dean and Ron Foster

I sometimes feel when things aren’t moving the way I think they should go or as fast as I would like it that I lose my sense of direction. Sometimes, Jesus has to ask me, “Are you catchin’ anything?” in order to remind me that I might just be fishing off the wrong side of the boat.

Thank You Heavenly Father, for the redirection of my vision when I become distracted with living. Thank You for the miracles you bring into my life to remind me just what I should be fishing for. Amen.

Gone fishing

03 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So then let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne. ~Hebrews 12:1-2 (CEB)

“Human beings are ambivalent toward holiness. We are drawn toward those qualities exemplified by a St. Francis or by a Mother Teresa, or by communities who witness to the gospel under severe persecution. Yet we find such qualities disturbing, too far removed from the way we must live our daily lives. Something deep within our existence create a restlessness for God, yet we live and move and work in a culture of technology. Efficiency, and the tyranny of the literal. The hunger for holiness coexists uneasily with the practical atheism of our way of life. Still, the deepest language of the Christian biblical tradition claims that the created world itself already reflects the goodness and recreation. The time and place where these tensions intersect is the gathered church at worship.” ~From “Sanctifying Time, Place and People” by Don E. Saliers in The Weavings Reader

Heavenly Father, may You not find me oblivious this day to the things You would have me to do. Direct my focus towards You. May each step I take be in line with Your will for my life. Amen.

Realignment

02 May 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

“I called out to the LORD in my distress, and he answered me. From the belly of the underworld I cried out for help; you have heard my voice. ~Jon. 2:2 (CEB)

“It is, I believe, this discovery of our own radical powerlessness for good and potential for evil that causes us to be identified with the crucified Christ. The details vary for each individual: they may concern the governance of one’s own life, bringing up one’s family or one’s work for the Church. Instead of being filled with the power of the Spirit we find ourselves empty and resourceless, victims of our own weakness and quiet possible, the objects of others’ disapproval. Generally one’s first solution is to work harder, trying to demonstrate competence. The situation deteriorates further. What we need to do is take the powerlessness as a basic premise, and use this as a fulcrum to lift our hearts in prayer toward God.” ~From Toward God by Michael Casey

Life happens. My best laid plans, my best organizational skills sometimes fail me and I find myself in over my head. I was prepared but then life knocked my feet out from underneath me…  one of “those days I tried my best and yet failed.” Now I find myself just trying to pick up the pieces and get through the day.

Today Lord, I find myself out of energy. I turn to You in this moment, to the Source of my energy. Fill me up again Lord so that I may continue to run the course. Amen.

Called out

12 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

Later, Jesus himself appeared again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberius. This is how it happened: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter told them, “I’m going fishing.”

They said, “We’ll go with you.” They set out in a boat, but throughout the night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples didn’t realize it was Jesus.

Jesus called to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?”

They answered him, “No.”

He said, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”

So they did, and there were so many fish that they couldn’t haul in the net. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they weren’t far from shore, only about one hundred yards.

When they landed, they saw a fire there, with fish on it, and some bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter got up and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three of them. Yet the net hadn’t torn, even with so many fish. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples could bring themselves to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. ~John 21:1-14 (CEB)

“For those who profess and call themselves Christians, the lens through which everything else is interpreted is a person: Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection. Just as the lover never plumbs the mystery of the beloved, so we do not exhaust the mystery of Jesus. This, at first, seems a strange claim. But it is not less extraordinary that contemporary ‘messiahs, saviors, and gurus’ possess the consciousness of modern men and women . . . . A walk on a Saturday evening through the streets of a busy city reveals what models, exemplars, paradigms are operating in the lives of the people.

We cannot do without a paradigm to help us live. As a believer, I keep bumping into Jesus. I wander away, and there he is, perhaps in the eyes of someone on the street. There is no escape for me. Nor do I want there to be.” ~From Soul Making by Alan W. Jones

Almighty God, in every age You have called out men and women to be Your faithful servants. Be with me this day as You call me to join in the work of Your hands. Grant me this day and always a clear vision of Your call and strength to fulfill the ministry assigned to me. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Come on down

10 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , , ,

When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” . . . Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” ~Luke 19:5, 9-10

“All spiritual disciplines are to help you trust this personal experience of yourself, which is, not surprisingly, also an experience of God. People are usually amazed that the two experiences coincide: when we know God, we seem to know and accept our own humanity; we also meet God. We don’t have any real access to who we are except through God, and we don’t have any real access to God except through forgiving and rejoicing in our own humanity.” ~From Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr

Jesus came into the world to call me down out of the tree of observation. It takes a meeting with Jesus to find our true selves. In our search for ourselves we find that only through God can we realize who we really are and begin to value our uniqueness. With everything that God created He claimed it “good”. He knew my name before I was conceived. God knew me in my mother’s womb. As He watched my heart beating He declared me beautiful.

Almighty Father, I thank You for sending Jesus into the world to call be down out of that observation tree to a full life of community. Help me to reach out to others this day. May I show the same patience and serenity that I have been shown. Amen.

God’s promises depend on God

09 Apr 2013 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. . . . See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. ~Rev. 3:20, 22:12 NRSV

“It matters not whether you believe in life after death or resurrection or pie in the sky when you die. God’s designs do not depend upon your assent. Rather, you can depend upon God’s ability to bring to pass those things regarding which God has spoken. The awesome promises of God depend upon God and not whether you can or cannot believe God’s promises.” ~Norman Shawchuck

No matter how I mess up God’s promises do not change. Whether I do my part God’s plans will continue on. There is a huge release of pressure when I realize it is not all hinged on me and my abilities. But then there is also the realization that if I am not on top of things…. I will get left behind. If I am not ready and willing God will find someone else to do His work.

Almighty God, help me to be about Your will this day. Help me to hear Your nudges in the direction You wish for me to go so I may be about Your work. Amen.

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries