Staying with the Prayer of Francis of Assisi for another day, I notice that it is a prayer of ‘asking’. But the asking isn’t for the ‘pray-er’ but for those the ‘pray-er’ is in relationship with. It is so counter cultural. It is asking for those things that, at least for me, I am unable to accomplish on my own.
To judge comes more naturally to me than to pardon. Doubt comes easily to me, faith I need to consciously relax into. Depending on my circumstances, despair often is my first response…hope is that thing that others who are more spiritual than I move right into. And so on.
I guess my point is that I tend to…or, may I say, I have tended to gravitate towards the darker side of my nature. But…with the help of the Holy Spirit, I find myself ‘wanting’ to pardon, having more faith, working to live in hope, trying to reflect light, expressing joy, being more consoling, more understanding and more loving. I am no where near doing this well, but my desire to do it well is the place I need to be, because the rest of it is in God’s hands. And when I rest in Him, I find myself choosing to live in way that honors Him and honors others.
What is He speaking to you about in this prayer? What one attribute is He wanting you to live into? How would that show itself in your life? Invite God into the process and allow Him to make those deep changes that need to occur.
Peace,
Deb
Friday, May 23, 2008
prayer
Posted by deb at 12:01 AM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comments:
St. Francis and I have been dancing around each other for months, it is time to accept the challenge of his life as an example. As usual God has been using your thoughts and writings to meet me where I am. First a praise to God and all who have supported me that while I will always be a survivor and that will continue to color my life, I have reached the stage of freedom within my journey of trauma recovery. Wow. Now I am asking for prayer. I am free, because I have truly forgiven my student, who killed both himself and my mentor. His act was the catalyst to my own battle with PTSD,wanting to die and a complete loss of who I was, my personality, hopes and dreams. Please pray that I have the courage to witness for God by speaking, writing and researching about trauma. I will be honoring and standing for myself, my boss and my student (not the act he committed). Please pray that I will be led to those who do not want to hear a message about God's forgiveness and grace, may He take me to the harshest critics, because those are the most precious lost sheep to HIm. Thank you, Kimberly Ann
Post a Comment