God in all things

I have a mouse. Apparently my landlord did too but he has a cat. I am allergic to cats and it seems to mice. I am learning a little about them as I posted on Facebook my dilemma. I had hoped foolishly that my slow as molasses landlord would bring me a way to catch them but I think perhaps I was not thinking properly there. I am so angry right now–for all the damage this critter has done, for my inability to get rid of it right now, and for depending on someone who is not reliable.

I am off to the store to find a way to dispose of it as humanely as I can first thing in the morning. I am not going to trust my landlord and I cannot lose another ounce of chocolate. Who knew mice liked chocolate? Crazy critter! It nibbled at the last of the two Lindt chocolate bars I was savouring and saving. Then it started in on the other chocolate. Grrrrr! Mice have good taste in chocolate.

In other news, this stupid situation has undone all the good done today at Wellness Day. I must breathe and let it all go.

Peace,

Suzanne

Last night I attended a volunteer appreciation night for the prison ministry I am involved with. It was the first time in the 12 years that I had gone to such a function. The highlight of the evening was the talk by an inmate who thanked us for the sacrifice we made for them, for helping the inmates feel human and for continuing to come out. Serenaded by a house band of inmates and two volunteers and fed by the culinary crew the evening was a success.

Every once in awhile we are prisoners to gratitude. The blessings we receive are undeserved and unexpected. What are you grateful for right now?

Peace,

Suzanne

Some gifts leave you wondering. I read a post on Facebook about gifts that were not shiny and beautifully wrapped as being the better gifts. These are the presents that break you open to the Presence.  They strip you of your bows and tinsel. You are left to face the Truth. The emotional turmoil that can result may be overwhelming. Mary Oliver writes about it as a box of darkness. How can the pain and sorrow be a gift? 

The transformation that occurs when you raise your head out of the blackness and see the sun again for the first time can be phenomenal. Recently I was eating something and noticed that I had stopped being grateful for how amazingly delicious food was. Ah, I was raising my head and it felt so wonderful. When we get to caught up in the darkness that we forget about the Light, trouble settles in.  We need to see that odd gifts also carry a huge impact. They are beautiful in their own right because of this potential for growth and blessing. 

Today while driving once again in snowy weather, I spotted a black figure perched at the top of the tree. I had no time to stop unfortunately but I was certain I was looking at a large owl, probably a great grey. There in the tenseness of the road conditions a gift appeared. Rarely do you see such a thing in the day so close to the road. It was remarkable and I wish I had had enough time for a photo but alas, I did not.  Life too is like this. Sometimes an odd gift appears at a moment and we do not have time to process it. Take time later to give it some thought. Perhaps there is a message that needs exploring.

Peace,

Suzanne

One of my favourite Gospels is Matthew 25. I seek the face of God in all I meet…or at least I try. Sometimes I forget. The stranger, the refugee, the abandoned, and so many others whisper for us to remember. The other night in prison, during my monthly chapel visit, I spoke to a lifer who had been drastically changed while behind bars. He had been in since he was a teen and had served 40 years so I knew whatever he had done was fairly terrible. He had escaped twice, had been one of the most dangerous offenders in the country, and he sat within arm’s reach.

His story somehow caught me and we went into deep conversation quickly. He spoke humbly and honestly. He told me of how one day he got down on his knees after realizing that his life could end two ways. He could continue on his path of self-destruction or he could give his life to God and hope for a few good years when he finally got out. He chose the later.  A sibling had chosen a completely different life–honest, upright and just. I was curious as to what had happened in life that had set them on opposite paths. He told me what he thought.

At the end of it, I stood, shook his hand and told him that it had been an absolute pleasure. I am not sure that others will understand that but there was something about this man that told me he had been redeemed. In that I recognized the face of God.

Who might take you by surprise and make you miss the Christ when he is standing in front of you?

Peace,

Suzanne

What is your bling? Your temptation? What distracts you in your desert? In today’s Gospel, Jesus is tempted three times by Satan. His temptation came at the end of fasting for 40 days and nights. The devil begins by a simple invitation of something Christ needed after fasting for 40 days– bread. How often are we caught unaware of the dark voice? We think we need something–or we do need something. However, how that something is achieved sometimes leads us astray. 

The second temptation is equally as possible for us to fall into–putting ourselves in danger and then calling upon God. If we discern in advance if something is God’s will for us, perhaps then we would not need to call on our angels to protect us. Perhaps we would avoid the situation altogether. 

The last temptation is less obvious–surely we do not worship Satan….and yet….who do we worship? What do we worship? Is God first in our lives? This Lent is an opportunity to examine what and Who comes first in our lives. Will you take it?  The Gospel ends by saying that angels came to minister to Jesus after Satan left. I believe that they will do that for us too when we turn towards God after being tempted.

Peace,

Suzanne

For those of you who know my obsession with purple, you will know that my support of a purple school for the Deaf is no surprise. In 2009, I went to visit Humble Hearts school and met founder Beatrice pictured here. She showed me around and introduced me to students and teachers. Then we went to the land that had been bought for the new school–lovely, spacious, far from the slums where the current school was, and surrounded by green space. I loved the concept. Over the years I have participated in projects that sent funds to Humble Hearts and last night was no exception. 

For International Women’s Day, the film Girl Rising, composed of 9 compelling stories about educating girls around the world, was shown to a sold out house. Proceeds will go to Humble Hearts and AVLIC 2014 (a conference coming up for ASL-English interpreters). I have been so busy planning this and a few other events this week that I have not been able to blog much.  The reaction after the film was similar to mine when I saw it last fall and knew I needed to bring it to my community. People wanted to buy it–they wanted to see it again.

The education of girls is near and dear to my heart. I have witnessed first hand its importance in Guatemala, Kenya, and Burundi. Girls must rise in our world. We must take every opportunity to support them and ensure that they are educated. Today is a day to recognize the phenomenal opportunities women can possess. I am so glad that the event last night heightened people’s awareness of what girls experience in developing countries.

Take a moment to pray for girls today. Theirs can be an arduous journey.

Peace,

Suzanne

“At an acceptable time I have listened to you…” says the second reading today. We enter Lent, ashes on our forehead as a reminder of our humanity and humble beginnings. We are by the grace of God, children of the Holy One. God will listen in these 40 days. Submit to the plan chosen for you.  Follow the desires that have been placed in your heart. The black cross on your forehead seals you to the graces of Lent. Tell God what you are hoping for during this desert journey and watch what rises from the ashes. 

Peace,

Suzanne

Today’s Gospel, on the eve of Lent beginning tomorrow, is a good reminder of why we give everything up. We leave everything behind –fields, family, friends–for the sake of the gospel. The reward is eternal life. Peter may have been a bit whiny when he started this conversation with Jesus, “I have left everything and followed you….” Jesus seems to cut him off, not waiting to see where he is going with his thoughts. He wants Peter perhaps to understand what is at stake.

In the first reading there is a lovely phrase–things into which angels long to look. Perhaps that too is a clue as we celebrate Mardi Gras today and enter Lent tomorrow. When we leave everything, our perspective changes. Our eyes settle on something new, different. We catch a glimpse of what we are meant to be, of what our real purpose is, as we stand in God’s presence and look through the eyes of Jesus at our lives. Why are we here? What is our task? What have we been given to establish the reign of God here?

What do you need to leave behind this Lent? Celebrate what is in front of you today and give thanks for it. This is Mardi Gras time. This is the chance to enjoy the richness and luxury of our lives. Tomorrow we leave it behind and enter the desert for 40 days. We look at things into which angels long to look–difficult things that reveal our soul, change the course of life, and call us to something so beautiful that we can hardly breathe. Such mystery is ours if we take the risk.

What will you do this Lent? What will you leave? What will you look into?  Take some time as you celebrate today to think about theses questions.

Peace,

Suzanne

Most of us Christians long to follow Christ. That makes sense, right? We believe that we want to. We fall short of that many days, and the rich man in today’s Gospel is no exception. You can almost feel his desire as he kneels before Jesus and asks how he can inherit eternal life. I love the first part of this exchange. The young man knows and has kept the proper way to his inheritance and Jesus meets him with great love.

Looking deeply and lovingly into his eyes, Jesus says only one thing then remains for this man to do: Sell what you own, give the money to the poor, and follow the Christ. Do you feel this man’s sorrow and struggle as he balks at this request. He is shocked. How can he give away all his possessions? He has so many. A camel will easier enter an eye of a needle than a rich man will enter heaven. While it is easy to feel superior to this man, we must only think for a few moments to realize we too cling to our possessions. We place them before our devotion to Christ.

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday and then Lent begins on Wednesday. If you thought for a moment of the most challenging item you had to give up, what would it be? What is it that you cannot do 40 days without? What is it that keeps you from following Jesus completely? Can you let it go in these weeks ahead? Will that camel do a better job than you? Or can you lighten your load and settle gently as if you are a butterfly on a flower? Let go of that which binds you to anything but Christ in this Lenten journey. Be free. Fly. Surrender.  Walk through that needle with joy in your heart. Now is the time for transformation.

Peace,

Suzanne

When I was in Bali, it was common to see flower offerings several times a day. I remember thinking that Christians could learn something from these devout people, who stopped throughout the day to give thanks to the Creator.  The lilies of the field and birds of the air Gospel reading today is one of my favourites.

Learning to let go and let God is a life-long lesson for most of us. We fret and worry and worry and fret. We wonder if there will be enough. We agonize whether the decision was the right one. We touch the lump and stop breathing for a minute. We watch our aging parents slow down and we take up the slack. The mortgage, the kids’ college fund, our RRSPs, retirement dates, medical test results and so many other things weigh heavy on our hearts. How can we not but worry?

We are human after all, not a flower that is here for a few weeks to bring beauty and joy and then gone. We are not the birds in the air who seem to have cares too. The cat that hunches quietly or the hawk swirling overhead poses a different sort of worry for them. More and more people are feeling the financial crunch in this country and certainly even more so for our neighbours to the south. Can we learn to live in the moment and release the anxiety that comes with yesterday and the stress that may accompany tomorrow?

This is one of the lessons in today’s Gospel. What is niggling away at your serenity today? Breathe deeply and release it to the One who has it.  Rest in the assurance that God is your refuge. Do not let yourself be shaken. Stop instead and send up a prayer of thanksgiving. Place a lily down and remember God is in control.

Peace,

Suzanne