Hidden moments of daily living

27 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t know it. Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. When they didn’t find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were shocked.

His mother said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We’ve been looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he said to them.

Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people. ~Luke 2:41-53 (CEB)

“Hiddenness is an essential quality of the spiritual life. Solitude, silence, ordinary tasks, being with people without great agendas, sleeping, eating, working, playing … all of that without being different from others, that is the life that Jesus lived and the life he asks us to live.  It is in hiddenness that we, like Jesus, can increase “in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and with people” (Luke 2:51).  It is in hiddenness that we can find a true intimacy with God and a true love for people.

Even during his active ministry, Jesus continued to return to hidden places to be alone with God.  If we don’t have a hidden life with God, our public life for God cannot bear fruit.” ~From Bread for the Journey by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Help me this day O Lord in the simple and quiet moments of life. Help me to see that all things can be done for Your glory even ordinary tasks or sleeping and eating. Help me remember that quiet times are needed to be able to bear Your fruit. Amen.

Living out the day

21 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me. I will be present for you, declares the LORD, and I will end your captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have scattered you, and I will bring you home after your long exile, declares the LORD. ~Jer. 29:11-14 (CEB)

“You have been wounded in many ways. The more you open yourself to being healed, the more you will discover how deep your wounds are. You will be tempted to become discouraged, because under every wound you uncover you will find others. Your search for true healing will be a suffering search. Many tears still need to be shed.

But do not be afraid. The simple fact that you are more aware of your wounds shows that you have sufficient strength to face them.

The great challenge is living your wounds through instead of thinking them through. It is better to cry than to worry, better to feel your wounds deeply than to understand them, better to let them enter into your silence than to talk about them. ~From The Inner Voice of Love by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Heavenly Father, help me to live through this day. Clear my mind or worry and fear. Help me to take each step as they come. Steady me, guide me, comfort me O Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Dryness

08 Aug 2013 Leave a comment

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The one whose wrongdoing is forgiven, whose sin is covered over, is truly happy! The one the LORD doesn’t consider guilty— in whose spirit there is no dishonesty— that one is truly happy! When I kept quiet, my bones wore out; I was groaning all day long— every day, every night!— because your hand was heavy upon me. My energy was sapped as if in a summer drought. So I admitted my sin to you; I didn’t conceal my guilt. “I’ll confess my sins to the LORD,” is what I said. Then you removed the guilt of my sin. That’s why all the faithful should pray to you during troubled times. ~Psalms 32:1-6a (CEB) 

“Sometimes we experience a terrible dryness in our spiritual life.  We feel no desire to pray, don’t experience God’s presence, get bored with worship services, and even think that everything we ever believed about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is little more than a childhood fairy tale.

Then it is important to realize that most of these feelings and thoughts are just feelings and thoughts, and that the Spirit of God dwells beyond our feelings and thoughts.  It is a great grace to be able to experience God’s presence in our feelings and thoughts, but when we don’t, it does not mean that God is absent.  It often means that God is calling us to a greater faithfulness.  It is precisely in times of spiritual dryness that we must hold on to our spiritual discipline so that we can grow into new intimacy with God.” ~From Bread for the Journey by Henri Nouwen

It is good to know Almighty Father, that despite my feelings and thoughts, Your Presence is still with me. The way I feel is not a true reflections of reality. I is good to remember this day that my spiritual disciplines will bring me through the terrible dry spells when they come. Despite my feelings… I am still a beloved child of God. Amen.

Invitation

30 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. ~Rev. 3:20 (CEB)

“Maybe we are not used to thinking about the Eucharist as an invitation to Jesus to stay with us. We are more inclined to think about Jesus inviting us to his house, his table, his meal. But Jesus wants to be invited. Without an invitation he will go on to other places. It is very important to realize that Jesus never forces himself on us. Unless we invite him, he will always remain a stranger, possibly a very attractive intelligent stranger with whom we had an interesting conversation, but a stranger nevertheless.” ~From With Burning Hearts by Henri J. M. Nouwen

May I hear You knocking this day O Lord. May I remember to slow down and invite You in. I do not to walk life’s journey without You. Please walk along with me this day. Amen.

Power of Prayer

15 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when

Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. ~Acts 12:5-7 (CEB)

“It is an answered prayer which brings praying out of the realm of dry, dead things, and makes praying a thing of life and power. It is the answer to prayer which brings things to pass, changes the natural trend which brings things to pass, changes the natural trend of things, and orders all things according to the will of God. It is the answer to prayer which takes praying out of the regions of fanaticism, and saves it from being Utopian, or from being merely fanciful. It is the answer to prayer which makes praying real and divine.” ~From The possibilities of Prayer by Edward M. Bounds

Almighty God, I thank You for the power of prayer. I thank You for this sacred moment where I find myself in Your presence. May I take this moment with me and cherish throughout this day. May it help equip me to do Your work. May it help me to see with Your eyes and to love with Your heart. Amen.

The privilege of holding a hand

05 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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Jesus was throwing out a demon that causes muteness. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed. But some of them said, “He throws out demons with the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” Others were testing him, seeking a sign from heaven.

Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland, and a house torn apart by divisions will collapse. If Satan is at war with himself, how will his kingdom endure? I ask this because you say that I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul. If I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. But if I throw out demons by the powera of God, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are secure. But as soon as a stronger one attacks and overpowers him, the stronger one takes away the armor he had trusted and divides the stolen goods.

“Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me, scatters. ~Luke 11:14-23 (CEB)

“The cup of suffering has many shapes and a variety of contents. In our tradition, the cup has special significance. It is a communal cup, meant for sharing. Abandonment at a time of suffering is the deepest of tragedies. Each time of suffering is the deepest of tragedies. Each time we pass the wine of the Eucharist, we are reminded of our communal relationships and our sharing is to continue in our picking up the burdens of the larger community.

Draining the cup of suffering is the final test of our sincerity in claiming discipleship. We can expect no right or left hand seats of honor, no prerogatives of power or monopoly on truth, no thrones, no outsiders. But we can have the privilege of holding one another, broken and bruised, in the embrace of our circle, of keeping watch with the dying or keeping vigil with the condemned, of walking alongside the exiled and the weary, of standing at the foot of the cross, not in despair or in bitterness, but open to the miracle of pending resurrection. And, finally, of waiting hopefully for our own welcome into life, wholeness at last!” ~From Seek Treasures in Small Fields by Joan Puls

Almighty God, as I go about my busy schedule today, let me not forget to hold the hands of the people You put in my path today. May I remember to take the time to foster and feed relationships, to embrace the weary, to stand with the saddened. Help me to help others to find joy in the moment so that in the present we will see Your face. Amen.

Solitude

01 Jul 2013 Leave a comment

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For we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin. Finally, let’s draw near to the throne of favor with confidence so that we can receive mercy and find grace when we need help. ~Heb. 4:15-16 (CEB)

“One of the earlier Christian writers describes the first stage of solitary prayer as the experience of a man who, after years of living with open doors, suddenly decides to shut them. The visitors who used to come and enter his home start pounding on his doors, wondering why they are not welcome do they gradually stop coming. This is the experience of anyone who decides to enter into solitude after a life without much spiritual discipline. At first, the many distractions keep presenting themselves. Later, as they receive less and less attention, they slowly withdraw.” ~From Making All Things New by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Guide me this day O Lord, help me to find the space for solitude with You. Give me the strength to brush away the distractions and to pay more attention to You. Help me to know Your will in all I do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

To share our stories

20 Jun 2013 Leave a comment

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But remember the earlier days, after you saw the light. You stood your ground while you were suffering from an enormous amount of pressure. Sometimes you were exposed to insults and abuse in public. Other times you became partners with those who were treated that way. You even showed sympathy toward people in prison and accepted the confiscation of your possessions with joy, since you knew that you had better and lasting possessions. So don’t throw away your confidence—it brings a great reward. You need to endure so that you can receive the promises after you do God’s will.

In a little while longer,

the one who is coming will come and won’t delay;

but my righteous one will live by faith,

and my whole being won’t be pleased with anyone who shrinks back.

But we aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved. ~Heb. 10:32-39 (CEB)

“We shouldn’t put down people who show great euphoria and excitement after a born again or religious experience. They’re right. Suddenly the world makes sense for them. Suddenly it’s okay, despite the absurdity, the injustice, the pain. Life is now so spacious that we can even absorb the contradictions. God is so great, so bottomless, so empty, that God can absorb even the contraries, even the collision of opposites. Thus salvation often feels like a kind of universal amnesty, a total forgiveness of ourselves and all other things.” ~From Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr

I love to hear people’s stories. It helps me to remember my own victories over trials. Sometimes it gives me much needed hope for a trial that I am going through. Sharing our stories helps us to put it all into focus. Everything in the end can belong to the overall story.

Heavenly Father, help me not forget my trials. Help me to weave my stories into my present being so that I can stand in wonder at the works and miracles that You have done in my life. Help me to dance in joy when other’s find their way home to You. Help me to sing Your glory when someone claims the inheritance of Your love. Amen.

Friendship and faithfulness

24 May 2013 Leave a comment

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Where could I go to get away from your spirit? Where could I go to escape your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there. If I went down to the grave, you would be there too! If I could fly on the wings of dawn, stopping to rest only on the far side of the ocean— even there your hand would guide me; even there your strong hand would hold me tight! If I said, “The darkness will definitely hide me; the light will become night around me.” even then the darkness isn’t too dark for you! Nighttime would shine bright as day, because darkness is the same as light to you! ~Psalm 139:7-12 (CEB)

“The indwelling Spirit of God is never a source of trouble and scruple, but a stabilizing power, a constant. If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there– when I am exultant and when I am depressed. Darkness is as light to you. The friendship of God is like that, and God asks the same faithfulness of us in return. It takes a brave and loving soul to understand and respond to this sturdy faithfulness of God, for there is nothing sentimental about it.” ~From The Fruits of the Spirit by Evelyn Underhill

In the chaos of life it comforts me to know that God is stable… even if my life here on earth isn’t. In my good times and in my bad God is always good and is always constant. His promise to me is to walk with me through this life never leaving my side.

Almighty God who made this earth that I now travel on, may I feel your presence as I go out this day. Help me to seek Your will in all I do. Help me to speak with Your love in all I say. Amen.

The bread and fish of life

23 May 2013 Leave a comment

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Late in the day, his disciples came to him and said, …“Send them away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy something to eat for themselves.”

He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

But they said to him, “Should we go off and buy bread worth almost eight months’ pay and give it to them to eat?”

He said to them, “How much bread do you have? Take a look.”

After checking, they said, “Five loaves of bread and two fish.” ~Mark 6:35-38 (CEB)

“We can never forecast the path God’s energy of rescue will take. It is never any use saying to God ‘I am getting desperate! Please answer my prayer by the next mail and please send a blank check.’ God will answer but not necessarily like that; more probably God will transform and use the unlikely looking material already in hand- the loaves and the tiny fishes- looking up to Heaven and blessing it and making it do after all. A priest was once asked if many miracles happened at Lourdes. He said, ‘Yes, many; but the greatest are not miracles of healing but the spiritual miracles, the transformation of those who pray desperately for cure of this or that and come back, not physically cured, but filled with peace and joy, surrendered to the Will of God, conformed to the Cross.” ~From The Light of Christ by Evelyn Underhill

Some days I do not like the word “transformation”. Those are the days that I want my prayers answered now. Other days I see the beauty in the process; the growth in the journey. On those days I can value the twists and turns of life. I can’t help but still dream of “blank checks” or “get out of jail free cards” but life has taught me to see that help does come more often at what I have already in hand. I just have to remember to “take a look”.

Thank You Lord, for the “loaves and the tiny fishes” in life. May I remember to value more the transforming power that You send me as I sort through my steps for this day. Help me to remember to listen to Your nudges for which path to take. Amen.

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