“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
Further Still
Further Still
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
Further Still
Further Still
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)
Take another walk or do something that helps move your body and feels good for your soul before you continue. Again, practice making this a spacious time where you can breathe a little more deeply. Resist the urge to check in with technology. Continue to make yourself exclusively available to God.
Now,
O Lord,
calm me into a quietness
that heals
and listens,
and molds my longings
and passions,
my wounds
and wonderings
into a more holy
and human
shape.
(from Guerrillas of Grace)
Our Hidden Identity
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” — 1 John 3:1
Reflect upon this brief journal entry that Henri Nouwen wrote during a difficult time in his life:
Keep Moving Toward Full Incarnation
From Henri Nouwen's journal:
“Do not discount what you have already accomplished. You have made important steps toward the freedom you are searching for. You have decided to dedicate yourself completely to God, to make Jesus the center of your life, and to be fashioned into an instrument of God’s grace. Yes, you still experience your inner dividedness, your need for approval and acclaim. But you see that you have made important choices that show where you want to go.
“You can look at your life as a large cone that becomes narrower the deeper you go. There are many doors in that cone that give you chances to leave the journey. But you have been closing these doors one after the other, making yourself go deeper and deeper into your center. You know that Jesus is waiting for you at the end, just as you know that he is guiding you as you move in that direction. Every time you close another door—be it the door of immediate satisfaction, the door of distracting entertainment, the door of busyness, the door of guilt and worry, or the door of self-rejection—you commit yourself to go deeper into your heart and thus deeper into the heart of God.
“This is a movement toward full incarnation. It leads you to become what you already are—a child of God; it lets you embody more and more the truth of your being; it makes you claim the God within you. You are tempted to think you are a nobody in the spiritual life and that your friends are far beyond you on the journey. But this is a mistake.
"You must trust the depth of God's presence in you and live from there. This is the way to keep moving toward full incarnation."
You must trust the depth of God's presence in you and live from there. This is the way to keep moving toward full incarnation.”
Questions for Reflection and/or Journaling
Question #1
As you read Nouwen’s words, what do you notice happening within yourself? Describe your internal response to his words.
Question #2
Is there a door that is difficult for you to close today? Imagine yourself with a grip on the doorknob of that door, willfully holding it open. Ask the Lord for the grace to loosen your grip.
Question #3
What would it look like for you to close the door on self-rejection?
Question #4
Take a moment to rest in the reality of “what you already are”, God’s deeply-loved child.
