“‘Let us not speak falsely now,’ said the joker to the thief. ‘There is too much confusion, I can’t get no relief.’” (Bob Dylan)
“God doesn’t make big things happen all the time, but sometimes God does very small things that become major. Sometimes if we can just cooperate with God’s will and God’s way we will see mighty miracles.” (Joe Parish)
Bill W. said that after his spiritual awakening he learned to stay sober in five minute increments. If I can stop drinking now, in this minute, then I can stop drinking for five minutes, then an hour, then a day…
Life is a journey that involves stepping stones.
Underneath are the first three steps, which can be summarized thus:
I can’t.
God can.
Let God.
This doesn’t mean we don’t participate—far from it—rather it means our self will and attempts to control can get in the way. Recovery and new life somehow involve turning, releasing, and going with the Divine flow.
Turning our sails with the wind.
“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we can’t change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference.” (Reinhold Niebuhr)
Think about how this applies to real life today, especially in relation to addiction and deliverance from what would destroy us—both individually and collectively.
The defeat of self (destructive) will can offend noisy hubris, within and without.
With Mary we can say, let it be. “For God has scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts…. has put down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly..”
The Divine One is in our midst, a very present help in trouble, nevertheless, working things out in ways that are imminent yet transcendent to what we can see or do.
In old school language: we are saved by grace through faith expressing itself in works of wild love— in anticipation of “what eye has not seen nor ear heard nor the heart conceived what God has prepared for those who love God.”
Whatever happens: go under the Love. Live in the divine moment, let the holy silence be, pray under the Mercy.
It’s hard sometimes to accept we journey in bitter-sweet crucibles of imago dei with bodies made of stardust. I used to be largely in denial of my mortal vulnerabilities but in the last several years many good-true friends have crossed the veil: Keith, Tom, Steve, Gabrielle, Ruth, Coleman, Peter, Doris, Dennis, Mati. I miss them terribly, I mourn. Yet I am filled with gratitude for their lives. They are great gifts, beyond measure. They live in the everlasting light and life of God.
Indeed we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
The best way to honor our friends is to run our race, fiercely, live our lives fully.
Go under the Mercy.
This takes courage and patience and perseverance. Holy sprigs.
Lived in five minute increments.
(Ezekiel 17)
Thus says the Lord God:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
All the trees of the field shall know
that I am God.
Michael! This post is beautifully written and really touched my heart. Thank you.