For who God is

Happy second week of Easter! We are getting a nice spring rain while Joyce tells me from talking to a friend in Luverne that they have an ice storm. Ah, the weather. What would we do without it? We would like the temperatures to warm up. We have had little warmth. Joyce and I have usually had winter coats on yet or a few layers when walking outside. I have not ridden bike yet.


And the soul work continues. Here are a couple of thoughts from Wendy Miller's Jesus Our Spiritual Director, which has been part of my "spiritual" reading lately.

"Children are believers; their hearts are open to wonder, to God, to Jesus. Jesus delivers a grave warning to any one who causes a child to doubt, to be unable to believe in God...against anyone who traps and blocks a child's mind and trust, thus robbing the child of his or her created freedom to trust in God."

She also quotes from the 12th century Cistercian abbot Bernard of Clairvaux who offers spiritual guidance about loving.

Bernard says that first we love ourselves for our own sake. While this kind of love can be self-centered and narcissistic, it is needful for us to love and be protective and caring of ourselves. When we begin to realize that we need someone beyond our self, we begin to seek God. At this point we experience God a useful and necessary. Our love begins to change and grow; we love God because
God provides what we need. Simon Peter had come to know Jesus in this was -- as the Messiah who fed the multitude, stilled the storms on the lake, who healed the sick. He also expected Jesus to claim the throne of David and restore the nation of Israel. When the latter expectation did not become reality, Simon's love and loyalty faltered. He had not yet been able to grow in his experience and practice of loving God because of who God is -- not just because of what God is able to do for him."

Thus I am challenged to ask myself my reason for loving God. There is no doubt some utilitarian motives in my love for God. I would like to think I could say with Job, "though God slay me yet will I trust God." (Job 13:15) Of course we have the same issue in our marriages. And there is no doubt both self-serving and self-giving in our love for our spouse. Again the ideal is to be on the self-giving side of love which is the agape love the Bible speaks of when referring to God's love for us and the best love we can give to spouse and others. All I know is that this is something I must continually work at especially on the human plane in my marriage relationship.

Remember: Do what God says. Say what God does.

Joy and peace. God is with you and cares!