Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." But He said, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."
And the Lord said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen." (Exodus 33:19-23 NKJV)
Thomas Merton wrote, "There is always a temptation to diddle around in the contemplative life, making itsy-bitsy statues."
There is always an enormous temptation in all of life to diddle around making itsy-bitsy friends and meals and journeys for itsy-bitsy years on end. It is so self-conscious, so apparently moral, simply to step aside from the gaps where the creeks and winds pour down, saying, I never merited this grace, quite rightly, and then to sulk along the rest of your days on the edge of rage.
I won't have it. The world is wilder than that in all directions, more dangerous and bitter, more extravagant and bright. We are making hay when we should be making whoopee; we are raising tomatoes when we should be raising Cain, or Lazarus.
Go up into the gaps. If you can find them; they shift and vanish too. Stalk the gaps. Squeak into a gap in the soil, turn, and unlock -- more than a maple -- a universe. This is how you spend this afternoon, and tomorrow morning, and tomorrow afternoon. Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. -- Annie Dillard (from Pilgrim at Tinker Creek)
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Dealing with Debt
Doesn’t someone owe you an apology? A second chance? An explanation? A thank you? A childhood? A marriage? Your parents should have been more protective. Your children should have been more appreciative. Your spouse should be more sensitive. What are you going to do?
A few questions are more important.
Dealing with debt is at the heart of your happiness. Jesus speaks of the grace we should share. He says: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matthew 6:14).
It reminds me of the story of a huge grizzly bear in the center of Yellowstone Park feeding on discarded camp food. No one dared draw near. Except a skunk who walked toward the food and took his place next to the grizzly. The bear didn’t object. He knew the high cost of getting even!
We’d be wise to learn the same thing. from The Great House of God~ Max Lucado
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Stop Complaining
Did you hear the one about the complaining monk? There was a man who joined a monastery and took a vow of silence. After the first 10 years, his superior called him in and asked, “Do you have anything to say?”
The monk replied, “Food bad.”
After another 10 years, the monk again had the opportunity to voice his thoughts.
He said, “Bed hard.”
Another 10 years went by. Again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “I quit.”
“I'm not surprised," said his superior. "You’ve done nothing but complain ever since you got here.”
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The Reality of Suffering on the Cross by J.C. Ryle
What was a crucifixion? Let us try to realize it, and understand its misery.
The person crucified was laid on his back on a piece of timber, with a cross-piece nailed to it near one end – or on the trunk of a tree with branching arms, which answered the same purpose.
His hands were spread out on the cross-piece, and nails were driven through each of them, fastening them to the wood.
His feet in like manner were nailed to the upright part of the cross.
And then, the body having been securely fastened, the cross was raised up, and fixed firmly in the ground.
And there hung the unhappy sufferer until pain and exhaustion brought him to his end – not dying suddenly, for no vital part of him was injured – but enduring the most excruciating agony from his hands and feet, and unable to move.
Such was the death of the cross. Such was the death that Jesus died for us! For six long hours, He hung there before a gazing crowd, naked, and bleeding from head to foot – His head pierced with thorns – His back lacerated with scourging – His hands and feet torn with nails – and mocked and reviled by His cruel enemies to the very last.
Let us meditate frequently on these things. Let us often read over the story of Christ’s cross and passion. Let us remember, not least, that all these horrible sufferings were born without a murmur. No word of impatience crossed our Lord’s lips. In His death, no less than in His life, He was perfect. To the very last, Satan found nothing in Him. (John 14:30.)
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