...We do not lose heart...though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16
I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in
you by the laying on of my hands. 2
Timothy 1:6
He saved us, not on
the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His
mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus
3:5
You lay aside the old self, which is being
corrupted...and....be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new
self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians
4:22-24
This is the time of year when nature stirs up yearnings for
new life while surrounding us with things that have lived through their seasons. The recent warm weather has encouraged green
hope to sprout up from the grey ground, pushing through tawny leaves that are
returning to the soil. There is a
reminder of the promise of renewal for everything and everybody, through the
miracles of God's energy in and around us.
My work as a musician gives me fallow periods, more often
when the school year is dormant, but most of the time I find myself in the
middle of myriad projects. This can be
taxing, as the work hours of each day can begin very early and, especially for
musical theatre work, end quite late. I
usually sense too late that I have upset the balance of activity I need in
order to have fresh energy for everything in my life. My habit of overcommitting seems a noble one,
since I can help a greater number of people; but the fact that I am starting to
yearn for a day off makes me frame this activity more truthfully as being at
odds with my spiritual needs and beliefs.
In rest there is a returning to the spiritual life inside of
me, a stirring up of everything that is at my core. As in dreams, rest can give me the separation
to help shed the spiritual weight of accumulated burdens. My weakness and
weariness are derived from a lack of centering and grounding in the self that
God has formed in me, and too much focus on what I perceive to be duty. But there is always a chance at refreshment
for the spirit, a cleansing of the clutter of activity, and the absorption of
divine energy. We were created to be
vessels and communicators of God's love and power.
There is a plant in my living room which is hard for me to
reach for watering, and it has been knocked down many times by my
bulls-in-a-china-shop teenage kittens. It has been lying on its side, roots drying out, for weeks, while I have
been limping along with minimal household maintenance. I was amazed to see the other day that the
tendrils facing the window have crept onto the windowsill and sent small
flowers up toward the light. Without
even having the proper nourishment, this plant has not only survived but
thrived. Somehow, that plant has found
what it has needed to flourish and live its live fully.
I might feel like I am not in an optimal place to be my true
self and do what I was meant to do, but God finds ways to provide what I
need. God is patient with my learning,
and if I simply open to receive renewal and guidance, God is already there in
my roots.
Prayer: Hear me, Holy Spirit, and help me to receive you as
I release the barriers that my habits have built up. Help me to open up to you and to let myself
be regenerated by your energy. Reveal to
me how the water of my baptism continually blesses and cleanses me in the
unreachable places. Forgive the well-meaning blunders of my days, and hone me
in your fire so that I can be more like you in this world that needs our
spirits to shine. Help me to be aware of
your presence, and grateful for the renewing mystery of that presence. Amen.
Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2017 Lenten devotional)
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