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no other starting point
I read some very nice confirmation on some things we were talking about in our last meeting on Tuesday night - about God's love for us, acceptance of us, and about how our realization of that is the groundwork for everything else. I was given a book recently by Brennan Manning called Posers, Fakers & Wannabes (Unmasking the Real You). I'm only in chapter one and wow, he's reading all our mail. Very good stuff. Here are a couple of quotes.
God is not shocked when we fail. No more than a mother is stunned by her toddler's stumbling and falling and getting into fixes he can't get out of. Julian of Norwich wrote, "Our Lord does not want his servants to despair," however often and however hard we tumble because, "our falling does not hinder him in loving us."
That's hard to believe. People like us are skeptical about that kind of thing. We believe there must be a catch. And if it's difficult to get our minds around, it's even harder to truly accept in our deepest hearts. We're so timid (or is it proud?) we can hardly bring ourselves to ask for the mercy we need. Not because we hate God and not because God hates us, but because we hate ourselves.
Get this is you don't get anything else: The spiritual life begins with accepting God's wholehearted love for our wounded, broken, surly, frightened, sorry selves. There is no other starting point...
...God, who spoke us into existence, speaks to us now: "Come out of self-hatred into my love. Come to me now," he says. "Forget about yourself. Accept who I long to be for you, who I am for you - your Rescuer - endlessly loving, forever patient, unbearably forgiving. Stop projecting your sick feelings onto me. You are a broken flower - I will not crush you - a flickering candle - I will not extinguish you. For once and forever, relax: of all places, you are safe with me."
| posted by + Alan | 1:05 PM |
4 comments
Sounds like this is one book that will be passed around the group... Very cool stuff. Absolutely. I may be buying another few copies - we'll see as I get through it. This post has been removed by the author. How true. I remember a time when my physical and financial burdens had been plaging me for some time. I had prayed for a bit of relief but they continued. It was not unitl I was in a place where I felt I had created distance from Hime that they ose prayers were pawerfulyy answered. One after the other unexpectedly. I realised that I expected the prayers to be answered at a time when I deserved, not when I didn't deserve. I can't predict Him can I? He loves me wherever I am, whether I am on track, or slowly finding mt way back. And boy did it hit me hard when He came through because I felt so undesrving. Conclusion: I am never deserving, it has nothing to do with that!4 Comments:
Garth
Emergingblurb