Service

Loving, thoughtful, active promotion of the good of others and the cause of God in our world, through which we experience the many little deaths of going beyond ourselves.

 

Some days I’m just so happy I have a God, or He has me. Those days I don’t understand how people can ever go through their lives without this awareness.

Like, when a way too close of a family member, calls me and asks if I could come and clean her apartment and I can’t come up with any good enough excuse, why not to. I put on my dancing clothes and take off, just to find that when I arrive, it really wasn’t a need of the sort I had imagined… Actually, I get so annoyed over the circumstances that I’m ready to take off or at least Tell her off. In the midst of the fumes I hear a voice in my head reading from His Words:

I was hungry and you fed me, 
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, 
I was homeless and you gave me a room, 
I was shivering and you gave me clothes, 
I was sick and you stopped to visit, 
I was in prison and you came to me.

(…) ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.

Matthew 25:35-40 (The Message)

And I know that she, isn’t just one of these little ones, she even made the huge step to Ask me, if I could come.

So I take the vacuum cleaner and repeat the mantra in my head: “I’m doing this for you, I’m doing this for you, Oh, how I’m doing this for you…”

Soon enough I realize that with such a stern face and harsh thought’s, I’m actually doing more harm then good. “It’s so much easier to serve those who are worthy of it!” I STOP. Ask for the Joy of Movement and Almighty God, for some happy thoughts! Continue, only when I’ve found back to the right track. STOP. Ask again and don’t move before it’s all there… and so the struggle continued, for the following 45 minutes. 

I’m sure I couldn’t have ever made it through without His loving presence. Can you?

 

continued Waiting…

Just like this summer started with the Lesson on waiting, this summer also is drawing to it’s end, with a huge lesson on Waiting…

Ironically, I’m even, as we speak, in transit, waiting for 8 hours, on Chicago O’Hare airport, right now when writing down these reflections!

 

Prayer for a friend

I have many friends. Many people that are Dear to me and that I care about. Every night, before going to bed or early in the morning, before rising from bed, I do my best to remember them. I send them warm thoughts, good wishes, strength, wisdom and courage to wake up into yet another adventure, a new day, filled with possibilities… Or being able to let go and leave things no longer needed…  I prefer to call this a prayer. Wishing for their happiness, well-being and formation into what they are meant to be. Praying that God will take care of them, carry them if needed, surrounding them with love and presence or just holding a protecting hand under them.    All those things I would wish to do, but know I can’t…. This is why I like to pray, it’s like a dialogue with God, where I tell him those things that I’ve been carrying, all the people I’ve met under the day and those I haven’t even had time to think about… I give them all over to him, here they are, I surrender, Do your “Thing”, May your Will be done…   

 

First steps…

Inspired by the Podcast by John Eldredge on Walking with God I decided that I will give stories and the telling of even my own story a new chance. I hope that the stories I will publish will not only help me clear my thoughts but also keep track of and follow the paths God is taking me more clearly. 

Finally I wish them to be inspiration for You. So that you also may feel encouraged to go out seeking the “Love affair of a Lifetime”. It’s worth it and it’s just lovely, even though it’s not always “easy” or “pleasant”…