Last month I had tea with a young woman who was in the small group I describe in the chapter on “Wisdom” in Songs of Assent. As we talked she pulled out a tattered piece of paper, folded so many times it was falling apart. And she said, “Remember this? I was out of the… Continue reading A Few Threads of Wisdom
Tag: order
As A Watchman Who Waits
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” Mary waited, as a sword swings constantly before her, and the frantic mother and father looking for a lost twelve-year-old find him unapologetically residing in his Father’s house. Martha and Mary waited for their friend and Lord to come heal their… Continue reading As A Watchman Who Waits
Christ as Our Shield
Yesterday noon found me sitting in a local diner with one of my “girls.” (My "girls” are women who were students of mine at Wheaton College somewhere in the 90’s.) She is not, of course, a girl anymore, but a lovely young woman in her 30’s with a passion for the Lord and compassion for… Continue reading Christ as Our Shield
Do the Next Thing
I have been watching some new bushes pass through autumn. They held their leaves longer than the cousins next to them, and turned a mellow shade of gold before becoming barren twigs for the winter. On the other side of the garden is a bush that is still brilliant red. Today I wished that I had more than… Continue reading Do the Next Thing
Drenched
I was talking to a younger friend yesterday who, in spite of careful stewarding of his financial resources, encountered tax bills this spring that completely wiped out a fairly healthy savings account. We spoke of the raw fear that comes when, in spite of our best efforts, we find ourselves in moments of financial insecurity,… Continue reading Drenched
Drop Everything Now
My senior in high school left the house this morning with a slight swagger on the way to the golf team meeting. The top of the totem pole looked great at 9:00. At 9:40 the view was slightly different. Cell phone rings: "Mom! I need a sports physical before try-outs begin at 12:15." Hmmm. "OK.… Continue reading Drop Everything Now
Spiritual Badminton
They started it. I had called the retreat center in March with more than a little angst. For reasons beyond my control, I needed to find a place for THESE DATES this summer. I had just a few people--but no flexibility with the timing. And I was late in signing up. The retreat director initially… Continue reading Spiritual Badminton
Food Freedom
During my New Year's week in the hospital for gut issues I was seen by several doctors. Each of them had a different set of instructions on if and/or what I could eat or drink. I would have orders reversed more than once in the same day. One meal I ate what I wanted. The… Continue reading Food Freedom
Hidden Freedom (Part 2)
Every Independence Day we celebrate our country's freedom to act, speak and live as we choose but that does not mean we are truly free. I propose that the most central, albeit hidden, bondage is the captivity of our minds. In my last blog I listed four different kinds of unruly thoughts that can capture… Continue reading Hidden Freedom (Part 2)
If Christ Never Came
Last week I came across a comment from Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemman that found an uncomfortable echo in my own soul. "We live as if Christ never came. This is the only real sin, the sin of all sins, the bottomless sadness and tragedy of our nominal Christianity" (Great Lent). Several of my recent blogs… Continue reading If Christ Never Came
Carla Waterman 