Happy Day After Epiphany

 

As we wind down and wrap up the first full week of 2022, I wonder, how is your soul?  Honestly, how is your soul doing?  What emotions stir within you?  What gratitude is there beneath stress or strain?  What joy hidden amid the frustration or fear?  How is God’s love still authoring your life even amid the dissonance of living in these days.

I invite you to go back and answer each of those questions.  Remember, that the point is not perfection, the invitation is wholeness.  God’s love, peace, presence, strength, and grace embraces all of me, especially the gaps, making me whole and holy re-created in God’s image.  Then, God invites me to live this way.  

This remind me of a great quote from Dorothee Soelle, "If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive.'"

Are you hold, clinging tightly, grasping something right now?  Maybe you are holding onto something that is hurtful or harmful.  Maybe you are holding onto a sense of control or comparison.  Often what we hold, takes hold of us.  Wait…go back and re-read that.  Ask yourself, what are you hold today?  Are you holding hurt or joy or anger or fear or hope or love of some combination of ALL the above?  If I try to cling to control, suddenly control has a hold of me pointing out all the places I am stumbling or making mistakes or someone is doing something I don't want them to do.  If I try to cling to an image of being a “perfect” pastor, soon that will overshadow God’s grace that called me to be a minister.  In fact, often our sense of perfection comes from thinking we have to earn God's love ~ but God's affection and affirmation are unconditional (and unceasing).  If I hold onto relationships or trying to change the world or being all things to all people, those have a toxic side that can poison my life.  

Open your hands, receive the gift of grace that we don’t earn and may not feel like we deserve.  For a gift to be a gift it is always freely offered and joyfully received.  May this prayer posture guide your life this day and for countless days to come.  Amen.