“Gather
up your bundle from the ground, O you who live under siege! For thus says the
LORD: I am going to sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I
will bring distress on them, so that they shall feel it. Woe is me because of
my hurt! My wound is severe. But I said, "Truly this is my punishment, and
I must bear it.”
Jeremiah 10, Thursday Lent
Three, the Reading, the Daily Office Book, Year One
There
are times when I do feel under siege, mentally, physically, emotionally or
spiritually. Sometimes the demands of living, and living well are seemingly too
much. The demands of work, family and community seem to at times collide as the
perfect storm. If I add to that the times during which I’m doing significant
inner-work, the wound does feel severe. And at times the suffering is severe if
I am in process of letting go of those hurts which inhabit me, my heart and my psyche.
I’m not going to kid you, there are time when I’m so depressed I don’t want to
get out of bed or leave my home. In the same honesty I must share that in these
times “I must bear it.” Simply bear it and get up, “gather up (my) bundle” and
just show up, be in my community, be in my parish for fellowship and worship,
be with friends or family, the ones I trust and know who love me, I must make
myself available to their influence. I must go to counseling. I must pray, if
nothing else, in silence. I must do whatever it takes to find healing, to let
go of my concerns and be open and vulnerable to the little miracles of a loving
touch, a smile, a hug, ears and hearts open and willing to hear me, and maybe
someone needs me to hear them. Simply, I must trust God will act, within me and
through those who love me, for my healing.
Don't
despair
my
friend
Return
your
heart
to
light
Again
again
and
again
The
choice
always
remains
I
too
have
been
in
very
dark
places
Turns
out
they
were
advent
wombs
and
resurrection
tombs
“Poem
Sixty”, The Restoration Café, copyright
2010, Br. John Magdalene Agel, SJC
No comments:
Post a Comment