Hello TSJ Peeps ~
A few days ago in our “sip it and zip it” time together Mr. John began with a reading from Psalm 13. And I have gone back to it in my alone times of meditation.
You see, the opening question struck me between the eyes, “How long, Lord?
I could resonate deeply with the primal cry in those words. Many times they have tumbled from my own lips – especially when I was growing up and when Tom was battling cancer. But also when I feel stuck or worried.
Do you ever hear yourself groaning, “How long? or How much longer?”
How long must this suffering continue? How long will it take to get there? (“There” can mean anything from a physical destination to an accomplishment you have longed for.) Perhaps even today you are wrestling with something like the psalmist was. Listen to the next few lines…
“How long, O Lord …. will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?”
The last line about “wrestling with my thoughts” particularly applies to me but I know you too struggle in your own thoughts. You too ask, “How long can I keep going?” “How long before I feel better? or before things change?”
Scriptures are open and honest with stories about our human journey of suffering, doubt, despair and agony. We stand on the shoulders of those who have weathered the ups and downs of doubt vs faith and despair vs hope.
If David of biblical fame was the author of many of the psalms, then Solomon knew his work this week was to help me interpret the we-the-peeps groans of “How long?” in a way that would lead or shepherd us out of despair onto to higher ground – a better pasture for our souls.
How do we work through suffering? We don’t want to be stuck in the muck of negativity and fear or self-pity like sheep prone to graze in the mud rather than move on. That is why a shepherd watches sheep carefully. A sheep’s vision is pretty low to the ground. The shepherd can see much further and lead them to nourishment and safety.
And Solomon has declared we can learn to bless what seems ugly. Really?
Yes, he says it would be so much easier to “get there” if we were less resistant. We often stubbornly hold to our beliefs and interpretations of events and experiences. Like a car stuck in the mud, the more acceleration we give our negative thoughts the faster we go – nowhere.
So Solomon, now what? Read what the Psalm writer declared . . .
“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise for he has been good to me.”
Hmm… trust, rejoice, praise
Solomon says, “BLESS IT, PEEPS!”
This week I realized something I had not noticed before but I have been hearing myself say, “Bless you” to many people. And it feels right. And I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I don’t always say it out loud, but I do whisper it almost everywhere. Or I often whisper a prayer of sorts, “Please bless her/him, O Lord.”
Solomon has nudged me to ponder about the power of blessing everything. The act of blessing something has two components to it. First, it is a recognizing moment. An act of acceptance – a baby step toward dropping our resistance and defenses (clenched fists) against what is. Second, it is an act of love and confidence in God’s love.
So what does it mean to bless? I will share a few synonyms with you, “endow with, bestow with, furnish with, grace with …” In a spiritual sense it can mean: “to dedicate to God, make holy, make sacred., give thanks for, be grateful for.”
Finally, “for some reason” I took from my closet shelf Simple Abundance by Sarah Breathnach which I had not looked at for a year. I had the final aha moment to share with you. I felt directed to the book and opened up to reading for January 24th. The topic? “Blessing Our Circumstances.”
Wow. Thank you, Lord. My eye went back a page and saw this quote I thought you would like too… “our task is to say a holy yes to the real things of our life as they exist.” (Natalie Goldberg).
Sarah summarized it this way, “Let go of the struggle. Allow the healing process change to begin. You are ready to move on.”
Blessing something is an act of humility, acceptance and an act of Love. To bless is to say a “holy yes” to your life.
In Simple Abundance Sarah says, “If you are sick and tired of learning life’s lessons through pain and struggle, blessing your difficulties will show you a better way.”
Solomon smiled and said, “I couldn’t say it better, Ms. Margie.” Pass it on.
Bless you, dear readers.
