"God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference."
I was reading in a daily devotional book this morning; the topic was on watching where you go - something about paying attention to your path. But it was a verse shortly before that which caught my attention most. It also happens to be one of my favorite ones in this healing process I call 'recovery' - which is simply another word for 'restored sanity'. It said, "Above all, guard your heart, for out of it flow the well-springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
(I think I've said before that) I used to think this meant that my heart had to be watched like a hawk, because it couldn't be trusted as far as I could throw a Mack truck. But it doesn't mean that at all. It means that my most important relationships are the ones I have with God and with myself (both out of which flow my relationships with others). It means that only in right relationship with God and with myself (and it is essential to have a nurturing relationship with oneself) can those daily paths be attended to, the ones Solomon told his son to pay attention to.
It boils right down to this. Wisdom to know the difference between the things I can't change and the things I can ... has only come for me with a dedicated focus on my relationship with God, and a commitment to know myself as I truly am, not as others have painted me.
It's in daily dependence on God. I believe that this is the only "dependency relationship" that is healthy because it is the only one humans were created for. The more time I spend with Him, the more grateful I am for His presence. The more I value His opinion and am aware of how much He loves me, the more I want to honour Him in all things. The more I depend on Him, the better I'm able to see what's true, right, and honest, and when I'm just deceiving myself.
He lets me know He is there. Sometimes in the smallest of ways. But when I am living in a "God-conscious" state of mind, nearly everything reminds me of His presence, His power to transform, His love. He even reminds me to take care of myself when I need to do that (and of course, part of that self-care involves keeping my contact with Him close). When I don't, there's a nameless feeling of uneasiness that creeps in, and sometimes it takes several hours, days, even weeks to pinpoint.
Sometimes I even have had to be told by caring and loving friends that I am not "myself" lately. (That's still a new experience for me, because up until a couple of years ago I didn't even know who "myself" was!!) At such times I look first to that vertical plumb-line and see, yes, it's been shifted off centre and I need to be still and let Him come to the middle - my middle - the centre of who I am. The less I do (in the sense of frantically trying to please Him with what I do) and the more I allow myself to be (that is, resting in His love, His grace, His power) the more 'opportunities' open up for me to share what He has done in me, and communicate that (or even a part of that) to someone who asks.
Which reminds me. I've discovered, in my Christian faith, that if I am not BEing, I might as well not DO anything because it will backfire. Every time. When I am living in daily and intimate relationship with God, it shows in my attitudes toward work, family, friends, leisure, ... everything. He fills me up with an awareness of Him being with me - and in me. Out of that automatically flows opportunities to be there, to be a friend, to be a conduit of healing and mercy to the most unexpected (and unexpecting!) of recipients - and for that I can't take one bit of credit. Nor would I try.
God sets it up, He orchestrates the whole thing, and I'm simply left in awe of how He does it... I'm just glad to occasionally be there when He does.
I was reading in a daily devotional book this morning; the topic was on watching where you go - something about paying attention to your path. But it was a verse shortly before that which caught my attention most. It also happens to be one of my favorite ones in this healing process I call 'recovery' - which is simply another word for 'restored sanity'. It said, "Above all, guard your heart, for out of it flow the well-springs of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
(I think I've said before that) I used to think this meant that my heart had to be watched like a hawk, because it couldn't be trusted as far as I could throw a Mack truck. But it doesn't mean that at all. It means that my most important relationships are the ones I have with God and with myself (both out of which flow my relationships with others). It means that only in right relationship with God and with myself (and it is essential to have a nurturing relationship with oneself) can those daily paths be attended to, the ones Solomon told his son to pay attention to.
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| "The Creation of Man" detail (God's hand is on the right, man's on the left) - Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel ceiling Source of the image above: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2011/03/28/ depending-solely-on-god/ |
It's in daily dependence on God. I believe that this is the only "dependency relationship" that is healthy because it is the only one humans were created for. The more time I spend with Him, the more grateful I am for His presence. The more I value His opinion and am aware of how much He loves me, the more I want to honour Him in all things. The more I depend on Him, the better I'm able to see what's true, right, and honest, and when I'm just deceiving myself.
He lets me know He is there. Sometimes in the smallest of ways. But when I am living in a "God-conscious" state of mind, nearly everything reminds me of His presence, His power to transform, His love. He even reminds me to take care of myself when I need to do that (and of course, part of that self-care involves keeping my contact with Him close). When I don't, there's a nameless feeling of uneasiness that creeps in, and sometimes it takes several hours, days, even weeks to pinpoint.
Sometimes I even have had to be told by caring and loving friends that I am not "myself" lately. (That's still a new experience for me, because up until a couple of years ago I didn't even know who "myself" was!!) At such times I look first to that vertical plumb-line and see, yes, it's been shifted off centre and I need to be still and let Him come to the middle - my middle - the centre of who I am. The less I do (in the sense of frantically trying to please Him with what I do) and the more I allow myself to be (that is, resting in His love, His grace, His power) the more 'opportunities' open up for me to share what He has done in me, and communicate that (or even a part of that) to someone who asks.
Which reminds me. I've discovered, in my Christian faith, that if I am not BEing, I might as well not DO anything because it will backfire. Every time. When I am living in daily and intimate relationship with God, it shows in my attitudes toward work, family, friends, leisure, ... everything. He fills me up with an awareness of Him being with me - and in me. Out of that automatically flows opportunities to be there, to be a friend, to be a conduit of healing and mercy to the most unexpected (and unexpecting!) of recipients - and for that I can't take one bit of credit. Nor would I try.
God sets it up, He orchestrates the whole thing, and I'm simply left in awe of how He does it... I'm just glad to occasionally be there when He does.
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