Sunday February 19: Place Me at Your Table

To Practice:  

• Can you call to mind an experience when someone’s response to you called you up short, made you aware that you were not responding lovingly in a particular situation? Perhaps you might journal about that experience and then reflect on how you might respond differently today. Please consider posting your writing below in this forum.
• Who or what in your life serves as a reminder to you that you are a child of God? That others are children of God as well?

If you would like to re-read the full email reflection, you may do so here: https://mailchi.mp/coutreach/word-of-the-week-feb19

Sunday February 19: Place Me at Your Table

God has chosen family, friends, Zoom and online communities, such as this one, to be identified as “my loves”; those for whom I pray and who all remind me I am a child of God. This online community wordlessly holds me accountable to post a weekly reflection. I thank God daily for bringing all my loves to my life so we may remind each other of our belovedness in God’s eyes. <3 linda

A recent experience with my very healthy 95-year old grandmother called me up short and made me aware of feelings of not wanting to respond lovingly. I tried to express my feelings about wanting her to be kinder to my sons, but she did not understand as I had hoped. Rather than respond unlovingly, I hit the pause button and turned the other cheek. I had lunch with her last week, just the 2 of us in her apartment, where I tried to lovingly express my feelings to her about these things. The scene was much like the lectio visio picture for this week. I tended to her plants and then headed home. The next morning she said the Holy Spirit told her in the night to give me the prayer shawl she is currently knitting. What a gift, a hand-knitted prayer shawl from my 95 year old grandmother. Yet my heart is still hurting by the way she treated my brother who recently passed and is now treating my husband and 2 sons the same way. Family says she just doesn’t like boys, but I love these guys and feel protective over them. I am currently sitting in this space of “pause” and prayer, not sure how to proceed.

Ironically, the answer to the next prompt of who serves as a reminder to me that I am a child of God, is also my 95-year old grandmother. Even at the age of 95, she is also still a child … of God. She led me to God as a child. I am grateful for my time with her and how she has contributed to my faith. Praying for discernment of when to speak, what to say, and when to stay silent and let God work on us both. Pause, pray, proceed. God is in this. May we see what He sees. Amen.

A shiver of powerlessness, and a hint of despair when a first glance, upon opening this week’s WOW : “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you; the invitation of centering prayer as the table of the Lord’. I avoided both, when a couple of days passed, I listened to  the  thought “what have I got to lose?”, now living into my 89th Lent! Something very liberating is happening. Instead of despair I fell into the abyss of God’s work of love as primal, my part is to show up, be open, be curious, declare my intent, gently return to my word. So much is changing as I engage in email follow-up with a 5th-step person, another person in a transition situation; my spiritual direction coordination ministry on the threshold of a new approach that I am called to initiate and let go….. I close this week in humble gratitude for “powerlessness”, in humble acceptance of letting go of other people’s “laundry list” and God’s plans in their unfolding state.

Thank you Linda, Jaime and Adeline for your deep and inspiring witness. – Pamela

[Author]

Posts