Creed and Clear Water ~ REVIVAL!

I love diving into a good book when I can! As a girl, devouring a novel (and maybe a snack from the bodega near the train station) was a pleasurable privilege granted by a "free" library system that made my four-hour roundtrip daily commute feel short. Romantic elements were okay, but horror/mystery, history, worthwhile characters and their healing solutions were the crux of my reading interest. Needless to say, the times and tide have changed.

Fast-forwarding to today's task of warming and gross [sic] decongestion, I am finally completing a borrowed tale about a young Irish woman who set out to find Life's magic, namely Love. I noticed it during a family visit back near what's celebrated as Thanksgiving.* The author, whose somewhat similar path through writing, music, activism and faith came to my attention about nine years ago, used this work to reiterate the importance of love to guide any labor as well as the "implacable" violations those labors are subject to if ever seeking to darkly affect another's free will.

The Kingdom of God is established as One of order and decency that evil seeks to undermine with chaos. As the latter is forced to try on a systematic approach for such efforts, however, it is essentially subject to the Will it hopes to disrupt. Yes. It is written. My nose and chest are achieving release. The sink and other receptacles are left progressively clearer. The teas have done their job and my system can better use the flush of ample cool water.

In about 70 pages and a few more lime and eucalyptus essential oil drops on my tissue, that book and its message will also be done. I will have enjoyed the exchanges of the young woman and her teachers, the rolling countrysides and cobblestone streets it encouraged me to envision. When I'm back in my cousin's neck of the woods, the book will finally be returned after an uncharacteristic three months.

Before it was ever opened, as the cause of my pauses and long after she receives it, however, I will go deeper and higher into my favorite Book. May it do the same to me and all readers to help keep us on the right path with Christ from within. Even when I'm not in the mood, for the good it teaches of drama, intrigue, war, peace, foolishness, wisdom, hateful deceit and mostly, the Love of a Teacher so profound they both soaked and transcended the cross to Live in us even "now" - whenever, and forever, that is.

* I am grateful for the (message of the) picture now enclosed below, taken in my office at the time two weeks before learning of that book. It somehow came back to my attention today and seems to have earned a nice home in yesterday's post.

Mini's Tree

Newark, November 2010

I knew better than to toy with that day of warm winter weather, but a little while earlier I'd received pivotal news after much waiting and felt free to succumb to the temptation of leaving my jacket in the car anyway. After all, with this clearer direction, there were people to meet and things to do which a comfortable body temperature and ease of greeting could only help.

For years, I admit possibly misconstruing the parable of the "talents" (or weights) by refusing to choose between what strengths of interest I could maintain a prudent and balanced relationship with. With so many barriers (e.g. doubt, appealing options, financial resources) to the fulfillment of our true callings and gifts or even what we may have studied, I constantly tried myself with questions like Must I write to honor the Spiritual deposits right or was it best to be planted otherwise hoping to avoid the pitfalls that could create a "me" of dimmed purpose.

Rather than realize I'd squandered what I was given, as suggested by loved ones from any of the different disciplines I wasn't active in, if God brought me to an opportunity to teach, I taught. To sing, I sang. To do the laundry or change a bedpan, I washed and changed. To communicate, I stated, so... can you imagine how scattered or shady that could appear, especially as the accuser often commits to mocking or confusing any connections to the Work of the Most High? 

While personal knowledge of being called a healer of hellish and Holy (?!) mandate to my face -- as my Lord was -- is foreign, I can relate to the feeling of receiving wrongful judgment and the disappointment of internalizing it. The following day, when the clouds and more seasonal feel returned to complement the Sabbath rest, head congestion from my improper attire showed up too. I shouldn't have been surprised (or, later, obliged) when a party invitation to get out and move beyond that funk followed.

Last week, an online devotional reminded me that God's Will accounts in different ways for what is permissive and perfect. Yes, 1 Corinthians chapters 6 and 10 in particular teach that what we can do isn't necessarily beneficial or equal to what we should do. Truth was, I'd been at my own crossroads and on the fence between two particular disciplines for some time; holding my breath for a literal season to learn whether or not a new program, location and life would accept me -- or if I should accept that which I'd already courted. Either would be good, but the best is what the Lord wants for His obedient own. We should also want the best for ourselves and each other.

More truth was, even that one party was not the relief or celebration I needed as my stomach joined my head in discomfort due to an ambitious mix of curries, strawberry shortcake and what amounted to half a small tumbler glass of wine. Contrary to our popular beliefs, though, the greatest confidence, joy and truth was in having both indecision and indigestion out of my system! I'm still working on the sneezy, stuffy part.

God had used even my mundane moments to encourage vigilant willingness along the "straight and narrow" as opposed to the winding and woefulness of a broader path. I'd grown so accustomed to God being reflected in new, adventurous and sometimes unrelated branches of my life that rightful elimination and focus had become a more effective tool for Divine education and enrichment. The more I disobeyed by striving or being silent out of season, the more God pruned until the simplest beauty of His plan was made evident.

In your own ways, I trust you know something about that process too. We all do -- or will. When those times come, I pray greater respect for the Holy Spirit's leading of our living ministries, that we are guided to add the needed 'mulch' as we grow and not mooch from the best yield He has seeded. Less can certainly be more, but blessed is much!

*

Oranges, if true to their form, will yield no rage and apples' access is good, if not wont

As the Branch reflects what's planted and our tending, what we see, others' I shall not want

Going A.P.E.!

Growing in Godly affinity and character with our loved ones is a powerful process that only the Most High can justify at times! The weekend was full of movies, music and episodes to help some 'lose their heads' in romantic fantasy. Of course, the reality of true Love is a daily gift offered without request. It continues its Life in the food preparation, prayers, quality time, other faithful works and even space we give following our rising. As I did a sister's hair tonight, we noticed the attack-laden reunion of TV women in passing and turned away if not for our souls' sake then certainly for the sides that threatened to split from their funny antics.

The most judgmental and brash yet 'correct' of them offered an unfamiliar variation on an adage about the nature of guilt that went something like 'A hit dog will holler!' You may as well have called us two pups in rush hour-like joke traffic, 'cause we hollered like no one's business for those few seconds! Did it help that the cute Pedigree Dentastix commercial and its parody of 'doggie dentures' also came on? Absolutely not! Our surprise with the antagonist's impassioned contradictions wasn't out of hand, though. The man of the house hadn't even heard or seen exactly what we found so amusing, but he caught our infectious joy -- without harm and as the best digestive for a great dinner!

Earlier this morning, the founder of my women's prayer circle sent us a text celebrating true joy. Somewhere along the way, we will all have to call upon such healthy reserves when we find family, spouses, friends, colleagues, ourselves and Life-at-large to be rough around the edges. Depending upon how that lower energy appears on the scene, the cuddly bears, doves and swans and other proverbial expressions of base animal nature we're conditioned to associate with love may prove mild in comparison and simply insufficient for a rightful connection. Between our creation and the radical nature of evolution in Christ, I say "just go A.P.E.!"

You might be thinking, "Oh yeah... She's done exactly that! Now what concern should we have with monkeys of any kind?" Well, I'm glad you asked! :) Please remember:

Agape - openness, as in the case of a door, and the unconditional type of Love that God has for us

Most Holy God, keep my eyes, mind, heart and soul open only to the Truth which You place within each of us to be shared for Your glory. Help me, even as David did Saul, to see (whomever you are led to pray for) as precious as You do, allowing me to Love us both despite all I may not know as well as those uncomfortable things that do show.  

Philos - friendship and the partial foundation of our studies and beliefs

Because of Your endless examples of Love ~ from the sacrifice of Christ to the comfort of the Holy Spirit right on to the partnership of the rain with the earth ~ You teach me to be a better friend and confidante to Your fellow children and of Your mysteries. Keep Your Holy Spirit with/in me all-ways, so I may introduce others to Your premier friendship.

Eros - physical, sexual love and poetic license with the past tense of "erase"

As the Creator of Love, the One Who ordained marriage and formed every body with the nature to appeal to and connect with another, please keep my senses in line with Your Will. Help me to trust and honor the partner You cho(o)se for me to be sealed unto, keeping our love sacred and fulfilling. Also help me to leave behind those energies or habits that don't edify You, all-ways and forever.

See? No barrels required! One Love.