Blog Archives
Lose Our Sight
We all lose our sight at times on this journey called life. Hopefully, we have people who love us, will guide us, and help us see life in a new and different way.
blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com
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Another Way
Another Way –
This morning the pastor spoke from a selection of scripture regarding the story of how David, from the Bible, became King and conquered Jerusalem. It is an interesting story from the book of Second Samuel. When David, newly anointed, marched with his armies to the city of Jerusalem to reclaim it from the Jebusites, the foreigners were unimpressed. A ragtag, wannabe, King with his little army? How could they defeat the Jebusite army who far outnumbered them and were held up in the city of Jerusalem which had a great wall around it to repel invasion forces? They mocked David and told him they could put blind and lame men at the main gate and David still wouldn’t get in. However, David knew there was an access to the city through its water supply and his men came up through a well in the city and mounted a surprise attack to conquer the Jebusites.
“The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.
On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft to reach those ‘lame and blind’ who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”
David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces[b] inward. And he became more and more powerful because the Lord God Almighty was with him.”
-Book of Second Samuel, Chapter 5
As I listened to the story I thought of challenges, difficulties, illnesses and other “enemies” had strongholds in my life. It seemed no matter what I tried I couldn’t defeat them. It was only after I stopped trying to take them “head on” that wisdom made known to me another way. There are battles for our spirits, emotions, our innermost being that requires us to be not frantic but still, not exhausting ourselves but saving our strength, not egotistical but willing to ask for and accept help, not stubborn but soft and bending, not stronger but wiser.
blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com
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Redeemed
Redeemed –
This morning my scripture readings included the 43 chapter of Isaiah. I had heard a selection of this chapter earlier this week at my dad’s memorial service. He mentioned these verses many times and one of his favorite words in this passage was the word; “Redeemed.”
To redeem means to; “compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something), to gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.”
My dad wasn’t a perfect man. He had his habits, hurts, and hangups as we all do. Sunday afternoon, as my mother and I traveled back to her house after meeting the pastoral team who would do his service, I mentioned to my mom that for days all we heard was the good stuff about dad. She responded; “People think he’s a saint!” We both laughed and talked about the myriad of frustrating things dad did that aggravated us so much and the things we did that triggered him.
“The beginning of love is to let the one we love be perfectly themselves,
not twist them to fit our own image.
Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”
#ThomasMerton
Remembering someone after they’ve passed is to try to hold the whole of them together in our hearts and minds. The good and not so good. The positive and the negative. The stuff we loved and the things which drove us crazy.
Loving each other isn’t about forcing someone to change to meet our expectations or being blind to their faults. It is allowing a fusion of imperfect souls to connect in a deeper way where; “love covers a multitude of sins,” a mountain of aggravation, a collection of experiences that allows each one to maintain their unique identity but also redeems both the loved and the lover and together they are better and greater because of it.
blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com
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Blind
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Blind –
Last night a mighty storm with fast blowing winds and rain came through our area. I sat in the house listening to dead limbs being shaken from the big Oak tree in our front yard, the rain pounding on the roof. There were a few times I went outside to see the storm but the sun had already set and with the clouds overhead there wasn’t much to view. Then the power went out. It wasn’t surprising because of the fierceness of the wind. I went outside again and nothing could be seen but I could feel the wind threatening to blow me over as it had a couple of our potted trees. Finally, after a few hours, the storm had passed, the lights were back on, and I was thankful the storm has passed.
I don’t like storms at night. The biggest reason is that I can’t see anything, not even the direction of the blowing wind. As I sat in a candlelit living room, everything quiet but storm raging outside, I was reminded of life and the storms we face. There are times we see the storm coming but there are other times when one comes out of nowhere. It’s ferociousness rocks our lives and we feel blind as we try to feel our way forward. These can be the scariest of all because there is seemingly no light to see by, to make us feel safe, or to tell us we are nearing the end. The only thing we can do is wait, trusting that no storm lasts forever.
blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com
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The Moment
The Moment –
Earlier today I was mowing grass and came upon a butterfly enjoying a flower. The mower was close to it but didn’t matter. All that butterfly was focused on was the sweet nectar of the flower and the moment. It wasn’t worried about where its next meal would come from or getting chopped in two by a lawn mower. The flower and the butterfly had become one.
I mowed around it but reflected on how often we don’t enjoy the beauty that is right in front of us, ready to be experienced, respected, awed at and enjoyed for what it is; a once in a lifetime moment. Blink and it will be gone. Get distracted and the ugliness of the world will blind you to it. Be worried about what’s next, what’s happened, and you miss what’s happening.
Benjamin Franklin said; “Take care of the present moment for these are what make up life.”
blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com
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Walking in the Dark
Supermoon!
Last night my wife suggested we go outside and view the supermoon. We live in an area where there are few street lights and so we hoped to have a great vantage point. However, when we looked up into the sky clouds were all that was visible. Sigh. What should have been an amazing sight and experience ended up being a disappointment. Friends were posting pictures of the supermoon on social media, writing about its beauty and soaking in the wonder. For us? Nothing but an obscured view and the assurance of others it was there even though we couldn’t see it.
As I looked at the stunning photos of those blessed to witness it I was reminded of the truth of that not being able to see something doesn’t mean it’s not there. During certain seasons in our lives hope, love, change, peace, an end to difficulties and suffering are no where in sight. We try to rejoice with others who are winning their battles, breaking their habits, getting over their hangups but inside we are filled with doubt and fear. We look to heaven, our hearts and spirits loaded with uncertainty and confusion; “Where is our victory? Our salvation? Our time of triumph and celebration?”
One of the hardest parts of our journey is what Saint John of the Cross calls; “The Dark Night of the Soul.” It’s a time of unsteadiness and wavering in our beliefs. A season where clouds of skepticism, disillusionment and despair seem to block any view of goodness and light. We are lost, blind with no sense of direction and no confidence in rediscovering our path or purpose.
These stages of wandering away from certainty, exploring our faith, letting go of assumptions and convictions can be frightening but trusting when we cannot see can only be learned walking in the dark.
blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
http://www.thewannabesaint.com
