I've never desired the approval of everyone. Just selected others, others who, in my eyes, really matter. But in conforming to what it takes to retain their approval, I become a distorted image bearer of my God. C.S. Lewis calls this condition “bentness.” When I assume this bent posture I live for the approval of others, rather than… Continue reading Bent
Category: Wheaton
City in Illinois where we lived from 1993-2010.
Shining Tears
“But please, please—won’t you—can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?” Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the… Continue reading Shining Tears
Storm
I suppose my Maine stories will eventually dwindle. Apparently not yet. My friends and I had been gifted with one glorious day after another, but, for me, there was one thing yet lacking as our week drew to a close. I really wanted to see a storm. I was in the little island village on… Continue reading Storm
Tattooed
I got on the plane after another gloriously intense session of the Institute for Worship Studies. IPod and book in hand, I sat down next to a strong, muscular guy in his early 30’s. His earbuds were dangling from the collar of his t-shirt. Thought: This is going to be a quiet ride. Reality: It was a voyage on the… Continue reading Tattooed
Temptation and Imagination
Temptations are not independent agents in our souls. They do not gain access, sweep aside all reason, all good desires and hold a hostile take-over. There is no such thing as “the devil made me do it.” “I allowed to the devil to get his way” is much more accurate. Whether temptations come from familiar places within our… Continue reading Temptation and Imagination
Thoughts on Regret
In the attempt to make my market-appropriate bland walls inhabitable, I went in search of some cheap, decent art that went with beige. I kept running into posters with the slogan "Live without regret." Live without regret? Everywhere I go, including the recesses of my own heart, I find plenty of regret lurking in the… Continue reading Thoughts on Regret
Tolling Wisdom
A tolling buoy in the Atlantic Ocean. I just spent a week on an island off the coast of Maine, as close to the water as was physically possible without living in it. I saw sea gulls and sunsets, waves and rocks. But what I heard was a bell. A small rocky island just off… Continue reading Tolling Wisdom
Uninvited Solitude
I've had an uninvited visitor in my home for the past several days. She isn't visible to anyone but God and me. Her visit began with a rather unwelcome, but much needed, departure. Nearly two weeks ago my husband dropped everything to be with his ailing mother across the country. My son is here, but… Continue reading Uninvited Solitude
Walking in What Is
This weekend I am leading a retreat based on Psalm 86:11. This verse is the heart of this intense psalm of supplication: “Teach me your ways, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth. Unite my heart to you that I may fear your name.” I’ve spent much time reflecting upon the flow of this small, powerful prayer: first from instruction… Continue reading Walking in What Is
Carla Waterman 