ContemplativeJourney

Sometimes inspiration comes easily, effortlessly...other times, life can bog you down, and it seems like inspiration will never come again. Have you ever felt this way? It reminds me of what Jesus said in his conversation with Nicodemus. He was trying to explain the spiritual life to Nicodemus, and his choice of the wind as analogy is an interesting one... The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going; so it is with every man who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8 The Holy Spirit, like the wind, blows as it will (you may prefer to refer to the Holy Spirit as either "he", or "she"...). The point is, we can no more control the comings and goings of the Holy Spirit in our lives than we can control the winds that blow. As Christians, we pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us, to guide us, to empower us...but if we think we control the Spirit by our prayers, I believe we think amiss. It's hard, f...

I went to a 12-step meeting today at lunch, and the topic was "gratitude." When I came out of the building after the meeting, a gentle rain had begun to fall...and it occurred to me that gratitude, like a steady rain, can water the dry places in our hearts. I've recently started attending Al-Anon, a fellowship of people whose only requirement for membership is that you have either a friend or family member that struggles with the disease of alcoholism. As I look back over my life, I realize that I qualify for participation several times over, and yet...I've only just begun to experience and benefit from the great gift that is shared in this unique fellowship. I am filled with gratitude today, for a very long list of good gifts in my life...some of them practical gifts of provision and personal belongings, others are gifts of profound love and connection with friends and family that make up the mosaic of my 50-year life on this earth. During the lunch meeting, I hear...