Forcefield Of Love

Ha - not the title you expect from a Christian blog, is it. I can, quite happily, blame one of our Deacons for it. He used this phrase in his homily this past weekend and it just hit me in the right place at the right time.

The beauty and simplicity of this is just breathtaking. The Holy Trinity cast as a protective covering in our lives. Repelling negativity, spiritual warfare, and any other attack with - love.

Pure, unconditional love. Shielding us from all distress.

Flowing in us (God), flowing thru us (Jesus), and flowing over us (Holy Spirit). 

Visualize that - a shelter made of the purest form of anything in the universe. A shelter made of something that can't be seen and can be felt. Whether it's deep inside us, covering us, or floating around us.

A sanctuary cleansed by the blood of Jesus and warmed by the ineffable Holy Spirit.

A forcefield of love. For all time.

Fragility

To be human...is to feel fragile. Our bodies are pretty sturdy, all things considered, and yet we are physically prone to bruising, cuts, falling, injuries, illness, etc...

We aren't meant to last forever. 

What I mean by using the word "fragility" as the title of this conversation is our emotional fragility. For in that we are prone to tears, anger, betrayal, depression, etc...

Nothing really much good in that kind of fragility, is there. It wears us down and wears us out. Only if we allow ourselves to become lost in the sea of our human frailty.

For indeed, God is most definitely not fragile. Not in any sense of the word. By any definition God is the strongest being of all time and space. His creation endures - it might change and it still endures.

Like the epic waterfall in this picture. Gullfoss (meaning golden waterfall) in Iceland. Millions of years old its torrents gush unimpeded through this harsh & beautiful landscape. While the water, over time, may change the face of the rocks the flow of the water is a constant. 

As is God - he is there for us, even when we don't acknowledge him. Or talk to him. 

We go thru each day not being fully aware of God's constant presence in our lives. Or at least - I do.

I am utterly clueless sometimes in the stress & tumble of a day. Something can be staring me in the face and if I'm wrapped up in my own little dramas and concerns I don't see it.

And that doesn't mean that God isn't there anyway. Even when he is ignored or worse - yelled at in anger about some petty thing - he is there. Steadfast. 

Waiting for us - always waiting for us. And all we need to do is say "Hi God" or "Thank you God" or even just "God, please help me".

Because we may be fragile - but he never is.

The End Is Just The Beginning

It's been a challenging couple of weeks. Lots of doubting on my part - that God even sees what is happening to the world he created. That he sees what is happening to people I love. That he sees - me.

And of course that is my human-ness being allowed free reign over my thoughts. Because God is always there - and every challenge, every heartache, every frustration - is our opportunity to draw him into our innermost soul & heart. To that magical in-dwelling that he craves for us & with us.

Funny thing - He is already there. And in our human-ness - our ego - we believe that it is WE who need to allow him in.

Humans really are curious creatures.

It is not up to us to decide much about our lives. Sure, our daily decisions on what to wear, what food to eat, where to be and when - the normal activities that require our participation.

But in the grand scheme of our brief existence, no matter what we want to believe or force to happen, it is God - and only God - who runs the show.

Even more importantly - it is our responsibility to turn to him in those moments that try us. Those moments that give us the greatest struggles. And those moments happen because we don't acknowledge that God is already there.

Or as is said at every Catholic Mass:

"Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever." The Book of Romans, Chapter 11:36

And to the image I posted here - this is all intended for one specific person in my life who needs to hear this:

We are not in control. Only God is. And the bad things that happen to us can be a gateway to all the good & wonderful things that God has planned for us. We only need to get out of our own way, let go of what we think things should be like, and be more open to the signs & wonders that God sends to us every moment. Because God wants the very best for us - signs & wonders are not about the end. They are about our beginning...no matter at what point we start. -with love, kris

While it might feel like the end - perhaps it is God's way of saying there is newness of life waiting for you. Just be patient because it's all in God's Time.

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." The Book of Romans, Chapter 6:4

Amen.