Servants of Light

It  is one of those rare, lazy days when I have nothing that presses with the tyranny of the urgent. It is a cherished gift that allows breathing space - a chance to ponder and sift recent events and allow myself the luxury of staying in my pj's, being a slug. The past week included the funeral of a gentleman five years my junior, a seminar on the ponderous subject of child sex-trafficking in Atlanta and a meeting on the resolution of a ministry to the homeless which is faltering. Heavy, weighty, real-life issues that press down on the psyche like an anvil. It's good to be able to take a step back, gather in a lung-full of air and offer it all to the One whose burden is light. When I think it is all too much to bear, I am reminded of what He bore for all who inhabit this befuddled, ragtag planet. I know it is just as important to embrace the pain and suffering as the joy. Henri Nouwen said, "Faith is the deep trust that God's love is stronger than all the anonymous powers of the world and can transform us from victims of darkness into servants of light." If I can just strive to keep the beat to that unforced rhythm of grace that is uniquely mine, that is authentic, then I am on my way to becoming that servant of light. If I can be quiet and still long enough to hear that still, small voice that speaks straight from the heart of God to my being, then I am making a modicum of progress. The question, as always, is am I listening? Am I trusting? And, above all, am I being obedient? 

Unforced Rhythms

I have always loved the water. As a child I spent hour upon hour plumbing the depths of the backyard pool or the lake...twirling, spinning, an astronaut untethered - a free-form dance with sparkling overtones. I didn't realize at the time, but in retrospect, God has granted me the grace to recognize the pure, unfettered joy of that freedom.... of having my being at one with what Peterson terms the "unforced rhythms of grace." I didn't know I was being wooed by the Creator of light and water and air and every cell that motivated muscle to move. I only knew sunlight that penetrated the water and captured a thousand diamonds on the water's surface, inviting me to a sense of security and loveliness. All was right with the world - the way it should be. As if floating on the wind or drifting on a cloud, or dancing with God. I felt a palpable Love in that underwater blue haven, as secure as the womb. And, from the safety of that place, the whole world lay before me, sparkling and bright and inviting.