Tag: Blessing

empathy

by hovering love

“he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place” (Matthew 14:13)

“he had compassion on them and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14)

Jesus had just heard the news of John the Baptist’s death, of how he was beheaded by King Herod and his head was then presented to Herod’s niece/step-daughter during the course of a wild dinner party—all done simply to enable Herod to save face before his guests. Jesus was deep in grief over the tragic and very traumatic loss of John, his relative and ministry fore-runner, and he desperately desired to spend some time alone, quietly embracing and processing his grief. But crowds of people observed his departure and followed him on foot, meeting him when his boat came ashore in a remote part of the coastline. Jesus saw the crowd of people approaching and he realized that his plan to care for himself and his grief was not going to happen, at least not at that time. His response to this situation is both stunning and awe-inspiring to me. I might have felt angry and put out, overwhelmed and empty of anything good worth giving to others in need. “How can I be expected or even asked to take care of others and their needs when all I want to do is curl up in the fetal position and lick my own wounds? It’s just too much!” might have been foremost in my thoughts at that moment. Not Jesus; he saw them coming and he “had compassion on them and healed their sick”. Some might make the excuse that Jesus was able to respond this way because he was God, possessing super-natural abilities beyond the tendencies and capabilities of humanity, but I don’t think that’s the case. “How could Jesus respond with such selflessness?” is a good question, one worth looking inside of my own heart and soul for the answer.

I believe that Jesus’ compassion for the loss and pain of others and his willingness to care for their needs came out of the depths of his own personal, present loss and pain. The source of his compassion was not their needs, but the very depth of his own need for soul care and healing. Jesus demonstrates much more than compassion. His suffering related to the reality and experience of their suffering—person to person—and the result was human empathy in action. Empathy inspired and motivated Jesus to minister to their needs; he didn’t just sympathize with their pain, he felt it as well and his heart went out to them. Jesus’ own need for care held great value—it made him truly empathetic towards the need for care in others.

What value does the pain, loss, suffering and grief that we all experience in life have? These experiences can burden our spirit and souls to the point of bitterness, despair and death if not expressed and shared with others who can extend the grace and care needed to see us through to a better end. Suffering has value and the power to produce goodness within us, if we let it. It can make us more forgiving, caring, kind, understanding, gracious, humble and brave—both for ourselves and others. It can make us more human in the very best sense and demonstration of the word.

I sense an invitation from Jesus in this story: “Don’t deny or hide from suffering, let it do its work and allow that work to be good, for your own benefit and for the benefit of others that I will lead along your path.” As I have opened up my suffering to God and the gentle care of the Holy Spirit, I have found there is always a reason and purpose in my experiences of suffering. When I have suffered, God has often led another person along my path later on who was suffering as well. The care that I received from God in my suffering could then be expressed through me to the other in need of similar care. My desire is to let suffering perform its good work within me so I’ll be open and prepared to allow God to care for others through me when the opportunity presents itself. No gift, blessing or suffering in life is for me alone—all is given and received for the purpose of being shared with others, as well. That’s what it means to be truly human.

coffee

by hovering love

“You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” (John 8:23)

To use a metaphor, the Bible is like a beautiful letter sent by God to introduce himself and to develop a relationship with all of mankind. Repeatedly expressed within the words of this letter is the following message, “By the way, I’m at the corner coffee shop each day from 6:00am to 10:00pm. I’d love to share some conversation and/or amiable silence with you anytime throughout the day. I have special insights for you about your experience of this day and how I want to share in each moment of it with you. I would be so pleased if you spend some time with me.”

Jesus, himself, spent much time in quiet conversation alone with his Father. Even though Jesus knew the “letter” by heart, he also knew that he needed to listen to what the Father had to say to him each day, moment by moment. Jesus knew that he could not live through each day in a way that would please his Father without being fully aware and attentive to his Father’s voice throughout the day. If this is true for Jesus, how can it not also be true for Jesus’ followers? Sadly enough, this isn’t often the practice of those who claim to follow Jesus. Many Christians (myself included) focus our attention and motivations in life upon the Bible’s words alone without ever going to the coffee shop to actually meet with the Author in person and spend time in quiet, intimate dialogue with him. We work hard to familiarize ourselves with these words, scrutinizing and memorizing their locations and definitive interpretations, without allowing ourselves to become equally familiar and intimate with the One who sent these words to us in the first place.

Jesus is coming from a completely different place than I do: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I am earthly and earthbound; Jesus’ living experience and perspective are far beyond my horizons. I long to know and experience Jesus’ life and perspective but my horizons are too low and small. I fear what is beyond my very limited and limiting horizons, but if that’s where Jesus lives and is taking me, then I want to go. Reading and treasuring the words of the “letter” are helpful, but I can’t share in Jesus’ life and experience if I don’t share in his practice of listening for the Father’s voice and direction each moment of each day.

So how will I go through my day today? Will I just “read the letter”, or will I intentionally meet with him for coffee and personal, intimate interaction throughout the day? How mindful and aware will I be of God’s presence with me today? Will I even hear him as he shares his loving insights and desires for me today? Will I take the time to please God by being attentive to his voice in my ear today?

I have a sense that Jesus is speaking to me now. He’s saying, “Don’t let my letter replace me as God. Respect and honor my letter, but follow me! I am the way, the truth and the life – not my letter!”

blendering

by hovering love

Psalms 34:8  “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” (The Message)

I was chatting with a friend one morning and we came up with the idea that life is something that we “blender through”. Let me explain. Life is always throwing something new into the mix, kind of like a person who likes to indiscriminately experiment with their morning smoothie. For example, when you finally get to go on a long-awaited special vacation and while you’re there your body seems intent upon developing a sinus infection.

By the way, I like to try new things but I’m not an indiscriminate experimenter – I have a fondness for knowing that what comes out of the blender in the end will not only be edible, it will actually be tasty and definitely NOT disgustingly foul. I also don’t want anyone to throw anything into the blender without my foreknowledge and approval, only to find out later that something new has been added to the mix but I don’t know what it is. That kind of “not knowing” can be very irritating where smoothies are concerned and highly anxiety producing in other more important areas of life. However, this is what life does to us on an uncomfortably regular basis. And the best that we can do is “blender through”. But what does that look like when you’re on vacation and fighting off a sinus infection instead of having a good time?

Fortunately for me, another friend had given me some of her peppermint oil beadlets, which I had absent-mindedly stashed in my purse. She had said they were great for sinus problems and anti-bacterial in nature, so I decided to give them a try. Not only did they help to keep my sinuses clear, they also did a good job of fighting off the bacteria that was copulating madly in an effort to make me really sick. I’m not sure how many months the beadlets had been sitting in my purse, unused and forgotten. I’m just thankful they were there when I finally remembered them and was desperate enough to take the risk to give them a try. I became aware of the value of my friend’s thoughtful and generous gift, which was greatly appreciated, and I experienced her loving gesture just when I needed it most.

In addition, the fact that my body was fighting off this illness drove home the point that I was on vacation for a reason: to vacate my everyday life, relax, get some good rest and slow my pace to an amiable stroll. Because of and in spite of my illness, I had a great vacation that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Oddly enough and here again, my unwanted illness and my friend’s caring gift were two more examples of how Love hovers over my soul. Awareness of this truth can be difficult at times, especially when the swirl of the “blender” is fast and loud. But this awareness is possible if I’m paying attention and I’m willing to taste it and see it for what it is.