This is a central word on our spiritual journey. Availability is our openness to God and to our neighbor. Being available to God means that we open our heart to the Living God. We hold loosely all that we have and are in our being, our heart or core. Those things which we have defined ourselves by we make available to the Spirit of God to blow away or to say. To be available is to abandon ourselves to God for their is nothing greater in life than total abandonment to God.
This is my personal quest, that is why my teachers are people who have done this and are doing this.
A sage once said that a saint is available to be used by God or left in the corner by God, they are content either way. An available person opens their whole being to God and this takes great trust in the mercy and goodness of God. To be available means to spend time with God, how can once hear the voice of the Divine if they never listen? Listen in silence and stillness. This is what my friends at Sky Farm teach and model for me.
Being available also implies a willingness to let go and to change to become even more in tune with the will of God. Jesus was always available to the will of the Father, he did nothing of his own, only what he was called to do. Wow.
Availability to God also means that we are available to all that God loves, which means we are available to all. We don't need to seek people out per se, rather we should welcome all that God sends our way and give them what they need at the time. This is a radical call to hospitality, and one I find challenging. Sometimes we make our material goods available, other times we make our wisdom available, sometimes it is compassionate listening.
A person who is available is truly present to whomever they are with, they are not planning or thinking about the next thing to say, or the next task or the plans for later in the night. They simply are present to Christ as he comes in the disguise of our neighbor. I long to live this way.
Reflection Questions
1. How available to God are you? What do you desire in terms of your availability to God and others?
2. What are the ways you make yourself available? For example do you attend worship, small group, pray regularly etc...
3. Who can help you grow in your understanding? For example Thomas Merton helps me understand the contemplative life.
4. What holds you back from being more available, what are the thing you hold tightly onto that may not be worth holding?
Journal about these issues....
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Intention
Our intention is a powerful force. When it comes to the development of our inner life we need to ask ourselves what is our intention? Do we really want to be transformed? Do we want to grow? Are we willing to count the cost and enter into a new way of living?
Many of us are afraid of growth, we say we want to change but yet never enter into the habits or practices to facilitate the growth. This is a matter of intention. What do we really want?
One of the key areas is to reflect on is our use of time. We hear so much these days about being too busy. Well if we are too busy then we will likely not see the transformation we say we seek. Yet if our intention is to change then our intention/desire will shape how we organize our day. To enter into the contemplative life one needs to spend time with the Lord, there is no shortcut to spending time in prayer, meditation, reflection, study and community.
If our desire is to seek God then we must trust God that the things that need to get done will get done and those things that don't get done are not worth doing. Jesus tells us to lose our lives for his sake. The great masters of the spiritual life ordered their life around the quest for God, not hoping God would fit into their schedule. This is a deep challenge to average American Christian.
Of all the things, which go on into eternity? Are our lives ordered around what is really important?
Many of us are afraid of growth, we say we want to change but yet never enter into the habits or practices to facilitate the growth. This is a matter of intention. What do we really want?
One of the key areas is to reflect on is our use of time. We hear so much these days about being too busy. Well if we are too busy then we will likely not see the transformation we say we seek. Yet if our intention is to change then our intention/desire will shape how we organize our day. To enter into the contemplative life one needs to spend time with the Lord, there is no shortcut to spending time in prayer, meditation, reflection, study and community.
If our desire is to seek God then we must trust God that the things that need to get done will get done and those things that don't get done are not worth doing. Jesus tells us to lose our lives for his sake. The great masters of the spiritual life ordered their life around the quest for God, not hoping God would fit into their schedule. This is a deep challenge to average American Christian.
Of all the things, which go on into eternity? Are our lives ordered around what is really important?
Notes from May 5 from wG
1. read daily Mark 8 vs. 34-38 so that it becomes who we are in Christ
2. think about who/what we want to become---what is our intention for our life---it must align with Christ's intention for our life
3. availability; who/what are we available to---we must be available to God and to our neighbors. We must live out our availability and trust Christ that all that we think needs to be done, he will help/guide us to do. This comes from the heart.
4. we need to read scripture daily.....less is more and contemplate the reading so we can hear God's voice.
5. we need to work in the Gospels first and the Psalms second. This will help us to understand Christ's life and how we can incorporate his life and teaching into our life.
6. start in Mathew 5 vs. 1 and place our names in the versus until be believe we are children of God and blessed.
7. how do we live the Gospel? what practices and habits do we incorporate into our lives to live the Gospel
8. we need regular periods of reflection time so we can review our life to see if we are living the Gospel. must journal to use as basis for path corrections.
2. think about who/what we want to become---what is our intention for our life---it must align with Christ's intention for our life
3. availability; who/what are we available to---we must be available to God and to our neighbors. We must live out our availability and trust Christ that all that we think needs to be done, he will help/guide us to do. This comes from the heart.
4. we need to read scripture daily.....less is more and contemplate the reading so we can hear God's voice.
5. we need to work in the Gospels first and the Psalms second. This will help us to understand Christ's life and how we can incorporate his life and teaching into our life.
6. start in Mathew 5 vs. 1 and place our names in the versus until be believe we are children of God and blessed.
7. how do we live the Gospel? what practices and habits do we incorporate into our lives to live the Gospel
8. we need regular periods of reflection time so we can review our life to see if we are living the Gospel. must journal to use as basis for path corrections.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
