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Dear TSJ Friends,
Perhaps you read my last blog that talks about me getting inspired and renewed recently when I heard a minister tell a story of when Jesus told his weary disciples to feed the crowd of thousands. The disciples resisted – not out of unkindness, but out of overwhelm because there were so many people to feed and what they had available was meager at best.
When they protested, Jesus basically asked, “What do you have?” (And in the material world’s way of thinking, they did not have nearly enough!)
So it turned out to be enough because with God what we have is truly enough. He blesses our willingness and our sacrifices. He uses us to “feed” the people around us.
Sometimes what we have is as simple as a smile or picking up something a person dropped or holding the door for someone slow and elderly. God knows what else is needed to feed that person’s soul at that time and your act sets in motion a new energy that opens up potential for more goodness to occur. We are in partnership with God at such times.
Well that continues to give me pause this week also.
Have you ever stopped to think that the presence of fear (anxiety, overwhelm, even defensiveness) is a sign you are trusting in your own strength? I read that somewhere the other day and it sure made me contemplate for a bit. There is a place, of course, for fear in life-threatening situations. But most of the time we are not in life threatening states of fear. For most of us, fear shows up in subtle forms that always magnify feelings of lack. For many of you thoughts of fear, overwhelm and anxiety parade across your minds most dramatically in the night. Sometimes for me too.
Fear and anxiety suck the life out of us. Which means we cloud our thinking and compromise our God-given creative minds and waste time lamenting what we do not have. Fear is our major block to inner peace. Heaven knows, no matter who we are or how successful we have been so far, we still are not in control of the universe.
It seems clear that God simply asks each one of us to care for each other. He uses each of us in different ways. Still, some circumstances are very difficult for us. in the Jesus story the disciples did their “okay… buts.” Just like us. And we too need to be ready for that most loving question that came next. “What do you have?”
And my imagination has been hearing a sweet answer. I hear God gently saying, “Fear not. You have you and you have Me. We both must show up together, though, to feed a world of people hungry for goodness, kindness, and healing.”
Finally, are you easily attracted to thoughts that are fear-based and welcome blame,shame and guilt in your mind and heart where peace and love belong? A thought system based on fear leads us away from experiencing the presence of Love and inner Peace and being fully present to the moment.
So we who are prone to feed our fears must watch our attraction to fear based thoughts and feelings of chronic shame. For some of us they are like strong magnets causing us to focus on what we do not have rather than what we do have.
Forgiveness and love go together. And when they are experienced deeply, blame, shame and guilt evaporate into joy and hope. It is, however, wise to ask for and anticipate full forgiveness when we have done wrong. This opens the door to welcome God’s Peace and Love in our hearts — we all have one great big heart muscle that pumps life through our bodies every second of every hour. Let’s not leave Peace homeless. In the end we truly depend on God for breath itself.
Remember, you are not alone with these struggles. We are here to share the journey and the joy of learning life’s lessons together. I have grown exceedingly fond of TSJ friends and readers. Thank you for your thoughtful emails. I am only an email or phone call away. You encourage and inspire me too! Each one of us contribute to the greater good. Hearing from you and sharing in your journeys has reinforced a simple lesson I have been incredibly resistant to lean: We have love and that is enough.
And Solomon just called out… Remind them again that since God made us he does tell us, “You have you and you have ME!”
Let us be still and remember Peace comes when we shoo fear out the door and welcome God in.
Happy shepherding in you families!
Margie and (of course) Solomon
