Do Now What You Wish

Posted on January 27, 2017 by sstyves

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Tomorrow will be the last official day of the missions trip. This morning I worked  at the medical clinic at a school  located five minutes away from our resort. In about four hours we saw 150 students and staff. We handed out all the multivitamins, sanitary napkins, Tylenol, and ibuprofen that we brought for this particular clinic. We handed out other meds as necessary, such as creams and cough medicine.

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This week has been bittersweet for me.  The quote at the end of the daily readings in the missal today was from St. Angela Merici:  Do now what you wish to have done when your moment comes to die.  I find myself teary here on occasion. How can I explain how I feel having officially surpassed the 365 days I was given?  I find myself missing my beloved Africa, not knowing if I will ever be able to return.   Gratitude overwhelms me at times when I see something beautiful or experience  something meaningful. All I have ever wanted was to serve the Lord and I am blessed to be able to do that in this matter one more time. I know that I will spend my life in service until I take my last breath but my passion has always been to work overseas, amongst the poor.

I had said to my social worker prior to leaving that I wanted this to be a week of not being focussed on living with cancer but it is harder to do that than I thought. I am constantly checking in with my body to monitor my fatigue and discomfort. I combat feeling disappointed when I cannot fully participate in a project that is happening. I am being  gentle with myself but it is not as carefree as I had hoped.  I have purposely not told most of the group so that I can have a somewhat normal experience.

So many people live without being mindful of the moment, assuming that they will have a lifetime to do the things that they long to do.  I have lived the past 30 years or so as fully as I have been able to and I continue to be grateful for that.  The reality is sinking in that I will not be able to do everything in life that I had wanted to.  That realization has been lurking in my mind this week and all I can say is that I believe that I have done all that I have needed to do.  Whatever else left is a bonus. This understanding makes me want to weep with joy and I find myself vulnerable and emotionally fragile.  I have spent the afternoon resting in my room and trying to work through some of what I am feeling.  I think it has been helpful.

These three amigos are just some of the young people I spoke to today. One of the older male students and I had a conversation about his dream of finishing high school, going onto university, and becoming a chef with his own restaurant. He would be the first in his family to go onto university.   Most of us have dreams in life. Some of us chase them fiercely until they become reality. Others just talk about their dreams. I invite you to pursue your desires in life with passion.  Do not be that person who lays on their deathbed with great regret. No one knows how many days are given. The local staff person here shouts joyfully to us each morning  we arrive on site,  wake up! Wake up to the life that is yours and embrace its beauty.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What is it that you long to do now?

Looking back over your life, what one event fills you with gratitude?

Prayer

You who number our days, give us motivation to live a life worth celebrating. Let us serve you with joy and hope.  May we not look back with regret on the day you call us Home. Rather, may we be welcomed into your kingdom as good and faithful servants. Amen.

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Takes a Village

Posted on January 26, 2017 by sstyves

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We like to think that we have it better than developing countries. We have a lot to learn from them. I have watched this week as the community in the tiny village goes about its day. I have seen the Love present in so many situations. I said at the first debrief meeting that when we serve, it is often us who receives the most. My former pastor and I used to talk about this and laugh at the irony of it.

The community is not wealthy. Not everyone has a job. I see the children move from one house to another and it is challenging to figure out who the parents are. People are taking care of the village kids. They also watch out for one another. As we chatted with the homeowner this morning, she mentioned the curved wall and told us that her neighbour had a car that needed to fit into the space. The curve allowed him to keep the vehicle. He offered to sell it so she could have a bigger house. She declined and insisted he keep it. Besides, she said the street needed someone with a car in case someone were to become sick one night and needed to go to the hospital.

This particular street has a number of people who appear to be fragile mentally. One woman was carrying buckets earlier in the week but she carries a secret I think–there is something not quite right with her. When I arrived on site today,  I greeted her in Spanish and she did not make eye contact. I was persistent though and smiled at her. Finally, she returned my smile. I was so happy. Such a small act but I am glad that I could bring a smile to her face.

I am mostly unplugged down here but I do see glimpses of how the United States is beginning to act upon campaign promises. If we ever needed to see where God’s love can blossom, perhaps we in the North should look to the South. A village can show us city slickers some mighty fine Loving.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What if we truly learned to love our neighbours?

Have you ever learned something from someone you were trying to teach?

Prayer

Teach us how to love one another, Creator, as you desire. Instead of building walls, let us build communities and raise up our children as one. Let us embrace the least of these and to learn from the, as we do. Amen.

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Relationships

Posted on January 24, 2017 by sstyves

 

This little girl stole my heart yesterday afternoon. Her dad is in charge of making sure that this house gets built properly for one of the other community members, a hard-working woman whose energy amazes me.  This young one and I started up a conversation at the end of the workday when she swung by, still in her school uniform, to say hello to her dad. Despite my limited Spanish and her few words of English  we soon found ourselves laughing and building a relationship. That is really what this trip is all about.

I looked for her around the same time today but she did not come. About an hour later I felt a tap and turned around. There she was with a big smile and a hug for me.  She made my day.  These interactions build community and the Kingdom. I have had several of them since arriving.  One of the more profound ones happened just before lunch today. I was called over to hear one man’s story.  He was in a wheelchair and he said not to feel sorry for him because what happened changed his life for the better. He had been out one night with his uncle who was a police officer, and his brother.  The story is long to tell but the synopsis is basically that they got pulled over by a band of local thieves who were looking for the gun that the police officer might be carrying. They laid the three men down on the ground and kept asking where the gun was.  The uncle had tossed it a distance away. The man who was telling me the story knew one of the bandits who was a former schoolmate and tried pleading for him to change his mind. When the others realize that he could identify them, they decided to kill him. They shot him in the head and then in the back. Miraculously, the bullet to the head exited cleanly and the other bullet was lodged in the spine.  If it had happened the other way around, he would have died. His attackers assumed he was dead because one of his eyes closed. His other eye near to the ground remained open and he witnessed them murder his uncle and heard him kill his brother. There is much more to the story but the gist is  that he committed himself to following Christ during his recovery. He remains a committed Christian today.

This really is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the Dominican Republic through the people that we are working alongside. I count myself blessed to be here, working with the crew from Canada and the local folks.  I have only seen the ocean from afar. Tomorrow afternoon is a rest time and I look forward to walking on the beach. So much happens in the course of 24 hours that I am saturated with gratitude. Thanks for you continued prayers.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions 

What relationships have been life-changing for you?

Have you ever survived a tragedy?

Prayer

God of the universe, thank you for the encounters that we have in life. Whether they are fleeting or lasting, they point the way to the kingdom. Amen.

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Shine the Light

Posted on January 19, 2017 by sstyves

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I spent a good chunk of time praying in Assisi before this cross.  We have a replica in the chapel of my parish.  I quietly slipped into that prayer space today after mass and let myself be transported in time, back to the cathedral in Assisi. I wanted to pray without being disturbed. I am leaving shortly for a missions trip in the Dominican Republic with Shine the Light Initiative (STLi) where our group will be building two homes, running a medical clinic and visiting a local school. I have been wanting to take some time with the Lord before I left and other things seemed to bump into my good intentions, delaying this.

I sat looking at this cross that holds so much meaning for me. I closed my eyes, picturing the original cross in Italy, seeing myself praying there, sensing St. Francis’ presence.  I worked my way back down to St. Clare’s tomb and allowed the emotions to flood over me once again.  Tears came.  Gratitude arose. Then I allowed myself to imagine the group of us in the DR. I asked for a blessing on all of us. I prayed that we might be a Light to all we meet.  I held that image of us and watched the Light of Christ permeate our beings until it spilled out of us and shot in every direction.

Serving God has long been a desire of mine and I realize that I am blessed with this opportunity.  I could have stayed put safely.  At some point, it will be unwise to travel out of the country. It comes at a risk.  I am enlisting extra prayer support while I am away so that I may return without incident. My prudent family doctor has told me not to overexert myself and I could feel my disappointment rise upon hearing her words. I tell myself there are many ways to serve the Lord.  I must just be open to shining my Light in whatever way I can. I want to recognize Christ in each person I meet–whether as part of our Canadian group, within the local people or other guests that I encounter.  I want to reflect the Light wherever I can.

The founders of STLi use the symbol of the starfish and the story of the young child who tosses one of the sea creatures back into the ocean, desiring to make a difference to at least one of them. One by one, we change the world. Action by action, if we ignore the naysayers, we improve our corner of the global community.  I love starfish and that story has deep meaning to me as I used it to talk about another DR–the DRC. I will never forget the Congolese woman who taught me how much difference one person can make–and how one woman who stepped out of her safe zone created enormous change and saved many lives.  I am stepping out in faith, trusting that I am supposed to be shining the Light, in this way.  Keep me in your prayers as I go. I will try to post some stories or photos while I am gone.  I have just a couple of more sleeps before I depart. I decided that I would use this trip as a form of intercessory prayer for all who pray for me. I carry you with me as I go.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

How will you shine your Light today?

When have you decided to make prayer a priority in a busy schedule?

Prayer

Shine, Light of the World, through me so that I may be a blessing to all I meet. Set my heart on fire with a desire to serve you.  Never let me be too busy to stop and prayer so that I keep my bearings and know who is in charge.  Amen.

 

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Withered Hands and Hearts

Posted on January 18, 2017 by sstyves

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Today’s Gospel had me questioning if it was worse to have a withered hand or a withered heart. Lately, I have wondered if some of our hearts have lost the way.  I feel great sadness when I see the Negative Nellies speaking louder than the Hopeful Hannahs.  If our first inclination is to not rejoice, then is Jesus grieved?  Give him the withered hand and he will heal it, Sabbath or not.  Present him with people who want to follow the law, unjust or just, without love, and people want to destroy him.  He cannot seem to transform their small hearts.

Let me be clear this is not a politically-motivated post. I am talking about the people in our every day lives who when you have good news want to shoot it down. In my illness, I am acutely aware of such people.  I am so relieved to have very few of these people in my path. Jesus must have gotten tired of those who whined and complained all the time.  He still hung out with a few though, just to keep nudging us all towards redemption I figure.  I never quite know what to say to those folks who cannot see the good first. Let me say that I know I am equally as guilty in some situations.

I read a great interview today with Patch Adams by a local man named Jarem Sawatsky.  Adams says that at the age of 18 he dove into an ocean of gratitude and has never since found the shore.  He stayed in the grateful experience.  What if we did not compare ourselves with others or enviously think that we deserve the same or better treatment?  What if, instead, we truly celebrated the joy that another human began to experience? How about we just enlarge our hearts because there is no scarcity when God gives?  Suppose we tried on Love and wore it all day every day?  What if we reached out to those with withered hands to give them freedom from their bondage? What if we showed the Pharisees that Love wins? What if we pumped up those withering hearts with rejoicing?

I think the heart of Jesus is grieved when we forget how to love first and foremost.  Jesus wants us to be joy for one another, to be affirmers, encouragers, and gratitude-seekers.  Christ wants all of us to be whole and unfettered. Whether you have a withered hand or heart, bring it to Jesus to fix.  Do it sooner, rather than later. Do not wait a single day for the freedom that Christ desires you to have.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What withers your heart?

Who do you struggle to celebrate?

Prayer

Jesus the Christ, come now and touch my withered heart. Smooth it out. Grow it large again. Breathe new life into it. Send me into the world to spread your love. Amen.

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Time Flies

Posted on January 17, 2017 by sstyves

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A friend sent me these words of encouragement last week written by John O’Donahue from his poem, BENNACHT (BLESSING):

May the nourishment of the earth be yours,

may the clarity of light be yours,

may the fluency of the ocean be yours,

may the protection of the ancestors be yours.

And so may a slow

wind work these words of love around you,

an invisible cloak

to mind your life.

 

I need that invisible cloak of Love around me.  The protection of the great cloud of witnesses that has gone before me is also a necessary item in my peace package. The Spirit is blowing in my life and I am grateful.

Today I saw the doctor as a peace of mind appointment before I leave the country for a week. She has told me that I can absolutely go. I hope the earth does nourish me while I am away and that the ocean breathes deep into me while Light shines upon me. So many of us with cancer can develop anxiety around symptoms or creatures hiding in the dark under our bed to scare us.  Cancer has a way of chipping away at sanity if you let it. Do not let it, I say.  I have not yet mastered this ability but I do work hard at paying attention to my body, mind and spirit while trying to drown out the incessant voice that wants to be heard to disrupt the wind filled with words of Love.  I do not have to labour intensively most days to silence that obnoxious creature lurking in the shadows but once in awhile it can rattle its chains enough to scare me.

My PICC line came out a year ago on January 12. Next week will be one year since I was told that the cancer was back and had already metastasized. Those were hard words to hear.  My oncologist launched into the spiel regarding a new chemo regime that could be done.  I listened and then said no. My body needed to rest from a year of tests with radioactive dyes, procedures, surgery, and chemo.  That was what I wanted to do.  She said not many people took that route as people were uncomfortable letting cancer go unchecked for any length of time. However, she agreed that for now this seemed like a good idea. She assured me that the chemo would not get rid of the cells but only prolong survival. My choice was to feel well and get on with life for as long as possible. The return of the cancer was far sooner than anyone had expected.  Without chemo, the oncologist thought that I would likely live less than a year. I am so grateful that 12 months later I am still here and still doing fairly well, all things considered.

At this point no one knows how much time I have left. I have much I need to do in the coming months. In the meantime, I will wrap myself in the invisible cloak and mind my life, whatever is left of it. Keep me in your prayers the next month or so as I travel and begin to do some serious planning of how to spend these months that were not supposed to be mine. I am grateful for each day. To God be the glory!

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What blessing might you pray over your life today?

If you were given a year to live, how would you spend it?

Prayer

Creator God, grant me the strength to carry on, trusting you in all things.  May I serve you alone with joy and peace. Do not let the scary monsters nipping at my heels overpower me. Grant me courage to persevere and to be a Light for you in this world. Amen.

 

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At Home

Posted on January 13, 2017 by sstyves

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I never really considered Jesus having a home as an adult. I suppose mostly I believe this because of the Scripture where it says that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.  Twice this week though, I have come across this passage from Mark that says he was at home. The first time was while reading Fr. Martin’s book Jesus and today it was the Gospel of the day. Home….Jesus had a home as an adult–or at least a place where he could call home.  The thought made me smile.

The translations are various–as are the interpretations.  Was he simply in a house, visiting with people who were family, or like family? That seems to be the most common belief.  Still, the thought of Jesus having a safe place to crash is comforting to me.  Whether that was with Lazarus and his sisters or with other friends, Jesus had a refuge. He certainly was not there long before the crowds arrived and before a small group of people starting tearing at the roof in order to ensure that their friend was healed by the miracle worker.

What was it like for Jesus to sink into a favourite chair, to drink a cup of tea in the silence of four walls, to stare out a window and watch the sun sparkle on the scenery?  Our homes are often the place we can totally relax.  The other day I had plans that were canceled because of a blizzard that caused havoc in the city.  I could hardly see across the river and the skyscrapers were not visible.  I chose to hunker down and spend the day quietly at home.  It was such a blessing!  I spent some of it in prayer, as Jesus must have when he was home.

I am not yet settled in my new space.  After some interruptions and delays, I am slowly unpacking still.  I do enjoy living here.  I like being able to walk to many places nearby. I sleep well at night. I love how the light changes during the day and how at dusk the buildings out my front window seem to glow. I have already entertained more in these three and a bit months than I did in my entire time at my former residence which was not hard to do since I rarely had people in.  I like sharing a cup of tea and a conversation with people. My home is a blessing to me.

I try to imagine Jesus in the quiet of his home, chatting intently with a friend, throwing his head back in laughter, brushing away tears, listening compassionately, and feeling relaxed in a space that is familiar. The images come quite easy actually. In the hidden life contemplation of the Spiritual Exercises, I often sat with Jesus in his parents’ home. The warmth and love that filled those rooms were vivid.  I am glad that the Son of Man did have places to lay his head that brought him calmness and comfort. I can only imagine what Home is like then on the other side of this veil and how spectacular that must be.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What image of home do you have for Jesus as an adult?

How does your home feed your soul?

Reflection

Home is where the heart is, Jesus, and your heart must have been a residing place for so many people when you walked the earth.  I am glad that you are divinely human and can offer us a glimpse of what our lives can be like too, because you have similar experiences. Thank you, Jesus, for becoming one of us. Amen.

 

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Harden Not Your Hearts

Posted on January 12, 2017 by sstyves

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I was thinking a little today about a conversation I had with my physiotherapist a while back. He asked if people drove me crazy with all their whining and little problems.  I understood what he meant but the reality is that mostly I comprehend that the molehills made into mountains are what brings people meaning.  Today’s Psalm is 95 — if today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts. I am practicing not hardening my heart.  Some times that grumpy attitude does irritate me and it takes me a few days to let it go.

I wonder if the angels who intervene on our behalf laugh at our prayers. I am grateful that they do not harden their hearts to our perceived needs. My prayer list grows ever longer.  The brother of a friend who has a brain tumour, the young child of a friend who has been a blessing to me who also has a brain tumour, an older friend who is struggling, my father whose illness is not yet stable, my mother who has issues of her own, a young woman working the streets who is a drug addict, a friend who is struggling with severe depression, and so many other issues that are heartbreaking. Yes, the trivial pieces of other people’s lives make me pause and hope that they are never given more because they seem unable to handle such a little upset. However the truth of the matter is we do not really know what the other person is going through.

Today I prayed the Luminous Mysteries for the child of my friend who was celebrating her birthday and wondered how she was managing her illness and treatment.  As I went through each mystery, I had visions of healing Light permeating her…us….at the Baptism of Christ, at the Eucharist, at Adoration, at the Transfiguration.  The rosary came to me late in life.  I never really appreciated it until a few years back. However, it does allow us, as the Psalm recommends to kneel before the Lord our Maker and worship. I felt that today.  I am glad that I did not shut my heart to this particular prayer practice.

I pray that I may not lose patience when people gripe about things that are not of significance in my eyes.  We really should not compare our sorrows.  In a recent phone conversation, the person on the other end began to cry, overcome with emotion, all the while apologizing for what seemed to be nothing compared to my cross.  I wanted to reach through the phone and hug that person, so distraught.  Somehow God used me to break open a mystery with that person. I believed we were standing on sacred ground. I pray that God will work in that person to restore them to wholeness. I have said it before and I will say it again.  We are all broken. I would not have guessed that this person had been carrying so much pain around. Most of us that broken do not lay down the mask long enough for anyone else to glimpse the inner destruction.

In our brokenness we can harden our hearts and remain shattered or we can work through the pain to the other side. Each of us must make that choice ourselves.  Time and again I have seen people remain in the same uncomfortable but known pattern….myself included, until I figure out that I need to change something in order for a different ending.  I refuse to harden my heart.  I place my trust in Love, even when I am disappointed, frustrated, irritated, and out of patience.  I may stumble but I would rather pick myself up and say that is not quite the way I want to go and decide again that Goodness still rules the universe. I do not know any other way to do it.  I do not like to be cynical and negative. I believe in Hope. I know Love wins.   Those who look at the glass with only a bit of water in it and say it is gonna spill anyway are not the people I admire in life.  I cannot only hang out with the half-full people though. I have to learn to love the half-empty and embrace the ones who pour out the contents with disregard.  I cannot harden my heart.

My physiotherapist is a phenomenal human being. I know that he understands that I am operating under a very different perspective lately. I am by no means perfect but I do hope that when my heart closes even briefly to someone in a perceived need that I might rethink what I am called to do.  If the angels can do it, then I should at least try.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What do you do when someone else’s molehill is presented as a mountain?

How do you keep your heart open and malleable, not hard?

Prayer

Lord, teach me to meet each one where they are–even if their issues seem small and manageable compared to mine.  May my words be encouraging even when I am too tired to feel compassionate.  May my angels accept my prayers with delight and shed Light on each one. Amen.

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The Beloved

Posted on January 9, 2017 by sstyves

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What does it mean to be someone’s Beloved? Today as the Baptism of the Lord in the Church calendar, a voice from heaven recognizes the man, Jesus, who is standing in the Jordan River, having been baptized by John, as the Beloved Son.  The voice is well-pleased with the Beloved in Matthew’s version. The First Reading has the Lord saying Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.  Ah, these are words that every child hopes to hear from their parents at least once in life. Why would God and Jesus not model this love and admiration?

To be Beloved is a gift, a healing balm, a joy beyond measure. We all need to know this freedom–the freedom of someone embracing us totally, of delighting in us without judgment, of being pleased as can be at who we are. The other day I was over at my goddaughter’s place and I watched this fine young woman interact with us almost as an adult. She was funny and engaging. Something about her freedom to be who she was caught my attention.  This girl knows she is loved…and she certainly has my heart. She has dreams and compassion. She works hard. She is a loyal sibling and a good daughter. She maintains strong friendships. I think she has a sense of what it means to be Beloved.

Many of us do not get there until late in life.  We second guess ourselves. We do not feel lovable. We let go of dreams. We live small when really we are called to be light for the world. Jesus nor John played small when John baptized him. John was fulfilling the role destined by God.  Each of us have a role to play if the will of God is to be done here on earth.  Can we embrace the part we are asked to take?

I have known that God loves me from a very young age, when listening to Scripture readings in the public school I attended set my heart on fire in Grade 1. My relationship with Jesus is intimate. In Ignatian contemplations and colloquies, I commonly find myself sitting with Jesus, my head on his shoulder,  in silence, just being together. I feel such great peace there.  Other times, we may be walking along and we laugh out loud. He knows me so well and can always make me laugh. I have an earthly friend who reminds me of Jesus in this regard. He always brings me back to reality with a healthy dose of calling me on my stuff in a way that helps me to realize how I can be way too serious at times. Still other times of great sadness, Christ will put an arm around me, draw me close and let me weep. Jesus has always made me feel I am beloved.

For thirty years, I have been held by a church community that I have loved and that has loved me.  This great cloud of witnesses has formed me in ways for which I am ever grateful. We have been through much together — celebrations of joy and heartache. The seniors, especially have called forth my gifts of service and modeled for me how to live out my faith.  I feel such love from so many of them. They have supported many of my endeavours and have said hundreds of prayers for me over these three decades.  There have been surrogate mothers and affirming father-figures. My faith would not be what it is today had I been at another parish. My soul delights in them, and those who have passed to the other side of the thin veil.

As we re-enter Ordinary Time, may we know how the Beloved loves us. This Babe who came down from heaven to be one of us for three decades longs for us to know how deeply, wildly, completely adored we are just as we are–creatures in need of being loved. I pray that we may all come to experience this.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

When was a time you felt Beloved?

Who in your life has shown you unconditional love?

Prayer

Beloved, may I know that you take great delight in me. I pray that this will propel me out in to the world to share that joy and love with those around me, who are also in need of your mercy.  Amen.

 

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Be Radiant!

Posted on January 8, 2017 by sstyves

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My Magi are interspersed with candles this year as they make their way to the stable. The first reading for Epiphany is delightful. From Isaiah 60:1-6, the theme is light: Arise, shine! Be radiant! What struck me reading it was how the promise seemed to be for me, for each one of us: The glory of the Lord has risen upon you! The Lord will arise upon you. His glory will appear over you. Your heart shall thrill and rejoice. How precious are these words.

In the Gospel of Matthew, the Magi followed the  star which led them to the Child where they were overwhelmed with joy.  Their hearts thrilled and rejoiced at what they saw when the glory of the Lord appeared to them.  Do we grasp that the gift of Christmas is really the only Gift we need? Bring gold, frankincense and myrrh if you want in return–bring the very best of yourself–but we cannot out-give the Giver.  God wants us to be radiant with joy.  We are all given the choice of following the star. Some like Herod do so for the wrong reasons. His heart is blackened. He does not want the Light to penetrate it. Some of us believe our treasure chests are empty and that we are not worthy. A few of us believe that we are not part of this tribe. A handful of us might have stopped looking for signs long ago. The truth is that God longs for us to arise and shine. The Star-Maker scattered lights in the heaven just for me, for us, to see and be radiant.

After experiencing the mystical Light, the Magi left and returned to their country by a different road because they were warned not to return to Herod. These men returned home by a new way. Their hearts perhaps shone with something new that did not allow them to take part in something dark. What about us as this Christmas season finally winds down?  Is there a newness that radiates forth from our hearts? Can we believe that this God who decorates the heavens cares about our path? This Star-Flinger promises us an abundance will be brought to us. Are we prepared to say thank you graciously?

We can walk our safe, known ways, even if they lead to darkness and unhappiness or we can try to choose the unknown, less familiar, and even downright scary avenue that God asks us to walk this New Year. If we do the later, I believe that each step will be lit with joy. When we attempt, even when our hearts tremble in fear, to follow the Star, our faces will have a certain radiance about them that is not of this earth.  We all know those people who light up our lives. Be that person this year. Follow the Star. Walk in the lesser likely path.  Try something that scares you. Open your heart so that it may thrill and rejoice. Join the Magi on an adventure and know that wherever the road leads you, the Light has gone before you.

Peace,

Suzanne

Reflection Questions

What new path can you walk down this year?

Can you accept the glorious gifts that God wishes to shower upon you?

Prayer

Star-Scatterer, fling Light upon my path and let my feet walk it with graciousness.  May my heart thrill and rejoice at each step.  May I be a radiant reflection of your glory. Amen.

 

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