|
To send today's card: Elizabeth Ann Seton
For more beautiful cards All Cards
Quote for the Day:
Our talents are the gift that God gives to us..
What we make of our talents is our gift back to God.
Leo Buscaglia
|
Here is the wonderful radio talk (30 minutes) that our Bishop William Skylstad (diocese of Spokane, Washington) did on the subject of Hope. Gift of Hope
Today I'm having one of those - Eureka - discovering new things about myself. It all comes about when you see yourself projected in a negative light. Oh my. How did that happen? You know, someone says something to you - and your immediate thought is, "I think I will just take their lights out." The typical response you expect from a nun right?
So you sort of say something that is not tooooo bad - a sort of nunnish half way sappy response but inside you are seething and wondering how you can wrap them up in a small package and send them to the moon or some place far, far away so you won't have to deal with their stupid, ridiculous behavior!
Then, you get to thinking and examining your response... "Why the big upset?" "Ooooh, did a nerve get touched or what?" So then you sort of pray about it and put it on the back burner (except for a few inner conversations in your head where you sort of get heated up again) but eventually - God somehow..... give Him a little time... manages to break through and you see "Eureka" a new discovery about yourself.
One of the breakthroughs came this morning before Mass when I was reading from one of my favorite books that I pull out when I find myself getting overly sensitive and prickly.
Happiness is an Inside Job by John Powell, S.J.
and here is the part that helped me. (don't know if it will make any sense to you - taken out of context .... but here it is.
Do I Accept My Feelings or Emotions?
It seems to be true that we handle emotions according to what we think about them. And so we must ask: Are there emotions active in me that I allow to become an obstacle to joyful self-acceptance? Can I feel fear, hurt, anger, jealousy, resentment, self-satisfaction, or self-pity without getting involved in self criticism and self-condemnation?
All of a sudden it was like a light bulb went "Click" and I thought. Yeah. so what if I did say or think something several years ago that was sort of "ME" centerered - who am I to think I'm not ME centered? It would be nice to think one was holy and all that.. but hey, if you're not.. isn't it much more freeing to be honest about it and say, "Yep, that was what I was thinking all right." and "My gosh, you sure hit the nail on the head that time."
I love reading books that sort of take the cover off of one's smothered, protective thinking about self and open one up to accepting the reality of who we really are... warts, bumps and all.... just like every one else ... who also are gifted with their own set of warts, bumps and stuff that need to be given over to God.
Blessings of Peace and Joy,
Sister Patricia and all the Sisters
Sr Patricia
|
