One of my favorite places is in the hammock in the backyard, sometimes reading, sometimes dozing. I would have stayed out a bit longer this morning except that the temps and humidity drove me inside.
Right now I’m reading Fully Human, Fully Divine: An Interactive Christology Michael Casey, OSCO (Monk of Tarrawarra), specifically for the Institute of Spiritual Direction. The author recommends taking a year with this book, and we have the summer, with a focused reflection due at the end of August. With nine of twenty-five chapters complete this is doable, particularly since I’ll have two flights complete with layovers. One of the things that happens though is this read/contemplate/read cycle that happens.
The harder thing is that one of our mentors really desires that we take time to wrestle with this. In and of itself this is good because this offers a different approach to understanding Scripture. Fr Casey asks us to look at what Jesus is saying, how he’s living, how he’s interacting with the people of his day and not only take what he’s saying as Truth (we know that it is) but to stand in the place with Jesus and look at the deeper, more real meanings and then how we can incorporate this into our daily living. The first chapters have felt a lot like an examination of conscience and an examen (these are two different things) and well this isn’t as easy as it looks, however I’m here for it.
In Chapter 9 “Jesus the Sower” there is the dynamic of sowing seed and harvesting fruit. Between the two events there is a whole lot that is going on, and much that the sower and harvester are not directly involved in. The seed does what it does with no direction or effort from the (farmer). One of my clearest concerns has been growth in holiness it is both a desire and a concern. And here it seems, comes to greater clarity that this which I seek is a matter of faithful patience and confidence in God, leaning into, doing a bit of weeding. Oh and there’s more. So. Much. More. In recent prayer the word surrender comes up a lot, and here yield is used with great purpose. Having just finished a driving course there is a clearer understanding of yielding and why we must practice this on the roads.
Also this is much like the quilting process when I’m most attuned to it there is surrender to what is happening under the needle.
Oh and how can I pray for you?
Happy Quilting,
Teri
A Quilter's Heart 