Longing for More Life

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

If you’ve read my posts lately, you may have noticed that God has been gently widening my view and inviting me “to see all people as my kin, all living beings as my flesh.”*

As I do this, I’ve been challenged to turn from self-interest and pay more attention to others. God is encouraging me to participate in what benefits them, even when I don’t benefit from these things directly myself. It’s hard to talk about this without feeling a certain amount of shame.

But God doesn’t share or contribute to my shame. Instead God patiently, lovingly offers support. Recently that support came in the words of Gail Purdy, a partner in SoulStream‘s dispersed community. Gail wrote,

Walking in the forest in spring renews my soul. As I notice all the signs of new life, I see many decaying leaves from last fall still clinging to the tree branches. These leaves remind me of my walks in the fall when I first noticed them getting caught in the trees as they fell. It was almost as if they made every effort to keep from falling to the ground. They seemed to be trying to hold on to what they thought was life as other leaves floated past them. As I continued to walk through the winter, I noticed how these leaves had become shrivelled and curled around the branches.

leaf 1 by Gail PurdyAs I walked today, I saw the beauty of new life everywhere. I still noticed the decaying leaves as I am always intrigued by their tenacity. They are now heavy with moisture, still clinging to the tree branches. I thought about how they have missed the opportunity for new life. I reflected on the areas in my life where I still cling and where I need to let go in order to be transformed.

I looked more closely at the leaves today and noticed a beautiful transparency and thought, Hmmm… they are still being transformed, even though they seem to be just doing nothing. So often I seem to hold on to ways of being that no longer give life. Seeing the dead leaves in the midst of the beautiful greens of spring, I become aware of my longing for more Life.

I am hopeful that even in my holding on, the Giver of Life continues to transform me. My hope, if I let go, is that I will fall and be caught, and held in the magnificent embrace of Love. Somehow, and in some way, I am part of this great mystery of death, resurrection, and life.

leaf 2 by Gail Purdy

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit. –2 Corinthians 3:17-18

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Love Mischief for the World

Nancy clownMy friend Nancy Bailey, a professional clown sometimes known as Mother Goose, has been up to much love mischief in her life. She tells this story of when she was a child growing up in Pennsylvania. “I walked across a neighbour’s pasture to the creek where I often played. There on the stones at the edge of the creek were several leg-hold traps set to capture fur-bearing animals. Horrified by what would happen to these creatures, I ran home to get a pencil and some paper. As I hurried back, I gathered a few sticks. I used them to spring the traps and left a note on each one saying, ‘Stop hurting animals!’ When I returned later, the traps were gone.” Yay, Nancy!

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Quote from “Eyes of My Heart” by Steve Garnaas-Holmes Unfolding Light May 6, 2016
Leaf photos by Gail Purdy. Used with permission.
Photo of Mother Goose/Nancy Bailey used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Creation, False Self, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shimmering Delight

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

sparkling waterIn March I was able to get away to Bowen Island for a few days of solitude. Often when I retreat there, I sit in the cottage watching the rain come and go. But this time it was sunny and warm.

As I quieted my soul and sat gazing at the ocean, I noticed how the sun shimmered off the water in the distance but not on the undisturbed water close to shore. Then a breeze caressed the water, and light dimpled and danced in front of me. Soon there was a shimmering path from heaven to earth that stopped at my feet.

Each day I saw the shimmering in the distance and watched the sparkling path emerge.

baptism of JesusOne afternoon I went to the other side of the island to Bowen Bay. The sea was beautiful and calming but didn’t reflect the light even though it was a sunny day. I listened to the sound of waves and birds; I read and prayed. After a while I noticed a dimple of light and then another. Within a few minutes I was found–a shimmering path of glory stretched across the water to me.

And that’s how God was with me on that retreat–no deep conversations, no profound insights, no new announcement–just a quiet shimmering, as if God was speaking to me in a new language.

A few weeks later, I was walking with a friend by the ocean. I struggled to be present and follow a conversation about a subject I knew little about. The cloudy day rendered the sea a dull brown. Then the sun peeked out from behind a cloud. The heavens opened and light shimmered off the water.

God was well pleased with us–delighting in my friend’s every word and grateful for my willingness to learn another new language.

And when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I
am well pleased.” –Luke 3:21-22

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Love Mischief for the World

TaxesWe all have diverse interests, gifts and ways we engage in love mischief with God. Near the end of tax season, a friend said to me, “I completed my ninety-ninth tax return today. I got paid for about half of them, but I don’t mind. Long ago I understood that God had given me a gift with numbers and accounting to bless others with, and I am happy to do it.”

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and references:
“Sparkling Water” by boxer_bob Used with permission.
“Baptism of Christ” by Fr Lawrence Lew, O.P.. Used with permission.
Photo “Filing Taxes” by PT Money. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Mystical, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The “Other” Who Saves Us

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

welcome-mats-path

I was talking with a friend about how we need to radically welcome the “other”–those who are different and make us feel uncomfortable. Rev.Stephanie Spellers says, “We need them in our lives and communities for our salvation.”

“How do they save us?” she asked.

Since then I’ve been carrying that question around with me. How is each person I meet–especially those who are different–transforming me?

If I think about it theoretically, I can answer it easily by putting people in categories of those who affirm, challenge, inspire or humble me. But when I do that, I feel a dis-ease in my body. I sense the Spirit nudging me to be specific and ask, “Lord, how is the person I am with right now saving me? How is this person bringing God’s kingdom or making the body of Christ whole?”

So I’ve been asking these questions and paying attention to how God might be answering them.

After Bible study one evening, I gave each person a hug goodbye. I embraced one fellow and his body trembled with delight. He exclaimed softly, as he often does when something really good happens, “Wowie, zowie!”

His childlike response touched me deeply. I got a sense of how God must feel when we reach out to embrace our Creator in prayer. I can now imagine God smiling and trembling with delight.

There are things I need for my salvation that this man cannot give. But what he has given me–wowie, zowie–is a glimpse of God!

Peter heals lame man jpg

Then Peter said [to the lame beggar], “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” –Acts 3:6

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Love Mischief for the World

cup of waterPartners of SoulStream community have been sharing their stories of love mischief. Here is one from Rob Peterson who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “On Holy Saturday I had an opportunity to join God in Flint, Michigan by serving at a water distribution centre. As the result of bureaucratic indifference and outright negligence, Flint’s water is contaminated with lead. Thousands of residents have been without safe water for months. With a few friends from church and dozens of others from across Michigan, we filled car after car with cases of water. We blessed people with kind words and prayers. We witnessed the fear-filled concern of parents for their children’s health. 

“I don’t know how that love-mischief really mattered, but God opened my heart once again to the reality of suffering. God let me into the quiet silence of God’s love for the broken-hearted as people rallied together to stand beside others and offer love and grace. 

“On that Holy Saturday God filled my car, my heart, not with water, but with a renewed hope that God’s community of friends matter as we participate in little acts of blessing and love.”

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and references:
“Art College Doormats” from https://radicalwelcome.wordpress.com/
“Saints Peter and John Healing the Lame Man” by Nicolas Poussin, 1655 .
Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other, and the Spirit of Transformation by Stephanie Spellers
“Friday Requirement” by Martin Cathrae. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Turned

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

brooding skySomething significant has happened to me a few times now.

After a full day, unprocessed feelings can hang over me like a grey cloud. The theme of the conversation in my head often includes some disappointment in myself. I know these negative thoughts dissipate with time, so watching a movie or playing Tetris are helpful diversions. I would like to pray, but the desire to indulge in these numbing pastimes is strong.

Inevitably, the next morning when I am clear minded, I can identify the grey cloud of disappointment as a desolation that turns me away from God and the “helpful” solution as a deception. I realize I was deceived by arguments like, “Everyone needs a little fun” or “You’ve worked hard; you deserve a little down time.” Then I resolve not to be tricked again. But by the time evening rolls around, those arguments are quite convincing, and it’s my resolve that dissipates.

However, recently I had a different experience. This time when the grey cloud loomed, I had enough resolve left to open a book on prayer. It was Stephen Rossetti’s When the Lion Roars. A few paragraphs in and the cloud was forgotten. My heart instantly filled with the desire to open myself to “the sheer overflowing generosity of God” who wants to be one with me.

In a matter of minutes, I was moved from desolation to consolation. It was as if the Holy Spirit turned my gaze from the darkness to the light. Instead of feeling trapped in disappointment, I felt free. I wanted to pray. When I did, God didn’t engage the negative thoughts or feelings. God simply invited me to rest in love.

Afterwards when I pondered this quick and palpable change, I recalled two things. When Ignatius of Loyola was convalescing from a battle wound, he asked for something to read. The only book available, besides the Bible, was about the lives of the saints. He would have much rather read about knights and chivalrous heroes, but when he began to read about the saints an odd thing happened. His mood changed. He began to notice that whenever he thought about pursuing honour, pride and riches, he felt down. But when he thought about the saints, he felt joy. At first I wondered skeptically if Ignatius had simply exchanged one way of seeking honour for another, but now I understood. In the saints’ stories, he met God and was loved; that’s what brought him joy.

Procession of Christ Wikigallery

The second thing I recalled was a pivotal moment during a recent prayer retreat. We were invited to meditate on the painting above, “The Procession to Calvary” by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. I was drawn to Simon of Cyrene who had his arms around the cross and was ready to lift the heavy load off Jesus. Of all the travellers–soldiers, disciples, women, and onlookers–Simon was closest in proximity to Jesus. If Simon just turned his head, he would be face to face with God. This brought tears to my eyes.

This is the amazing thing I learned: God doesn’t always need to unpack and heal what’s under every negative thought I have. Sometimes God chooses to do that, but more often those negative thoughts are like clouds that threaten to rain but never do. In the same sky, God is shining with sheer generosity.

Blue skies of scottsdale

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). –John 20:16

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Love Mischief for the World

The_resurrection_day_

I love the fact that the first person Jesus met after he rose from the dead was a woman. I doubt that was by chance. Likewise, the first person he told that he was the Messiah was also a woman (John 4:26). In first century Palestine, women had little status and were considered property, so what Jesus did was a big deal. Love mischief, indeed.

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth? 
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Brooding Sky” by scyrene. Used with permission.
“Blue Skies of Scottsdale” by Dru Bloomfield. Used with permission
“The Procession to Calvary” by  Ridolfo Ghirlandaio,  1505 from Wikigallery. Used with permission. For more definition go to  https://www.flickr.com/photos/facesofancienteurope/16113956579/in/photolist-qxWeTz-gfr4Qe
“The Resurrection Day” Artist unknown; publisher of Bible Card. From Wikimedia. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Ignatian Spirituality, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

God So Loves the Earth

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

Crescent earth from Apollo 4This earth, this world that God loves so much, is beautiful and broken.

I have been asking God to show me ways I can participate in healing our planet. As I read and listen for God’s direction, I begin to see small steps I can take that will help shift our collective future.

One simple practice is eating mindfully. I regularly give thanks for the food I eat without giving much thought to how it connects me to God, others and creation. But Thich Nhat Hanh in The World We Have explains,

“When we eat mindfully, we’re in close touch with the food. The food we eat comes to us from nature, from living beings, and from the cosmos. To touch it with our mindfulness is to show our gratitude. Eating in mindfulness can be a great joy. . . The food we eat can reveal the interconnectedness of the universe, the Earth, all living beings, and ourselves. Each bite of vegetable, each drop of soy sauce, each piece of tofu contains the life of the sun and of the Earth. We can see and taste the whole universe in a piece of bread! We can see the meaning and value of life in those precious morsels of food.”

bread Evgeni Zotov

When we see and taste the value of life, we want to cherish and protect it.

Another practice that enables us to value life is the Ignatian Prayer of Examen. Here is a version of the Examen that can help us enjoy and care for the earth God loves.

  • All creation reflects the beauty and blessing of God’s image.
    Where was I most aware of this today?
  • Can I identify and pin-point how I made a conscious effort to care for God’s creation during this day?
  • What challenges or joys do I experience as I recall my care for creation?
  • How can I repair breaks in my relationship with creation, in my unspoken sense of superiority?
  • As I imagine tomorrow, I ask for the grace to see the Incarnate Christ in the dynamic interconnections of all Creation.

Wheat FarbenfroheWunderwelt

On this Earth Day
bless
and be blessed by
the holy ground beneath us
the heavenly sky above us
the beloved ones beside us

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Love Mischief for the World

A rocha logo

A Rocha International has been helping people world-wide to respond to the biblical mandate to care for creation. Their vision is “for the transformation of people and places by showing God’s love for all creation.” A Rocha communities offer live-in educational internships as well as educational resources, events and volunteer opportunities to help individuals, families, groups and churches live more sustainably and lovingly with the earth and her diverse inhabitants. To A Rocha love mischief with God means “inspiring hope and caring for creation.”

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and references:
“Crescent Earth from Apollo 4” by Jason Major. Used with permission.
“Bread” by Evgeni Zotov. (Photo of the father of the bride at a wedding in Bartang Valley, Tajikistan) Used with permission.
The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology by Thich Nhat Hanh, 2008.
Ecological Examen by Joseph Carver, SJ
“Wheat” by FarbenfroheWunderwelt. Used with permission
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015.2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Creation, Ignatian Spirituality, Mindfulness, Reflections, Spiritual Direction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Goodbye, Rob

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

On April 6 friend and mentor Rob Des Cotes passed into glory. Rob was a pastor, spiritual director and retreat leader as well as a husband, father, and grandfather, musician, writer and artist. Hearing God’s call to go deeper in contemplative prayer and contemplative living, Rob gathered others drawn to Christ and formed Imago Dei Community. Through his life and work, Rob helped many people in the Vancouver area and around the world open our hearts and minds more fully to God.

In honour of Rob, here is a post I wrote a couple of years ago after attending one of his retreats.

Waves Chris Niekel

Immersed in an Ocean of Love

I awake with an emotional heaviness at 4 a.m. and remember what caused this feeling. I got hoodwinked by fear in a legitimate disguise: I saw an injustice and pushed the panic button–again. I ended up making a fuss over nothing, and now I wonder if those involved are getting frustrated with me.

I hate these holes in my bucket.

“If you were a leaky bucket and wanted to be filled with God’s love,” I heard Rob Des Cotes say at a prayer retreat not long ago, “you could either spend your life patching the holes or simply immerse yourself in the ocean of God’s love.”

When I heard Rob’s words, I imagined myself as that bucket–filled and surrounded with love. A deep ahhh relaxed my body.

God is loving me now at four in the morning. God doesn’t despise my weaknesses but sees these holes as openings through which I can be filled with love.

I breathe in and out and picture myself lying in God’s ocean of love. I hear the pebbles move, feel them shift under me as the cold water flows out and rushes in again. Salty waves flood my weaknesses and recede leaving every filament of their tattered edges as wet and vibrant as anemones.

In the morning my fears will have drifted out to sea; I will wonder why I was so worried. Even if my peers are wearied of me, I will not be undone. God is with me.

But here, now in the night, I don’t want a strategy for how to live with my weaknesses. Here and now, I just want to lie in the ocean of God’s love and feel God’s tireless, boundless love wash in and out of the holes in my soul.

sand beach When I awake, I am still with you. –Psalm 139:18b

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Love Mischief for the World

Rob-Des-CotesRob Des Cotes made much love mischief with God in his life. He and his wife, Ruth, walked the Camino de Santiago and enjoyed community life with A Rocha and Imago Dei. Rob wrote four books of meditations for spiritual direction, Fan the Flame, Higher Than I, Ultreia! (Go Higher) and Strength to Strength. There are now Imago Dei groups world wide. Their ministry is “to  encourage a deeper spirituality in the lives of Christians, to help recognize and welcome God’s transforming work in life, and to encourage a growing faith towards the life God is calling us to live in this world.” Rob lived life to the full and now he and God are making more love mischief in glory.

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits:
“Waves” by Chris Niekel. Used with permission.
“Sandy Beach” by Donna Geissler. Used with permission.
Photo of Rob Des Cotes used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2016
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Helpful Images, Mystical, Popular Posts, Poverty of Spirit, Praying with the Imagination, Rob Des Cotes, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Other Side of the Line

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

Crossed the Line by Kendra

After I got over the shock of discovering I’m one of “those people,” I began to wonder about the distinctions I make. What constitutes being “those people” anyway? We easily divide people into two kinds:

  • life-giving people and life-draining people
  • cup half-full people and cup half-empty ones
  • emotionally healthy Christians and EGRs (Extra Grace Required)
  • givers and takers
  • doers and complainers
  • sheep and goats
  • gems and idiots

It all boils down to good people versus bad people. The former we accept; the latter we reject. But life isn’t that clear-cut. We all realized long ago that we’re not completely good nor entirely bad.

Yet there’s a line between acceptability and reject-ability. And if you’re like me, you’re constantly being careful not to cross it. Generally, child abusers, bad drivers, scammers, narcissists, most politicians, and telemarketers have all crossed that line. Specifically, I can name individuals I have put in the category “those people.”

Champaigne_shepherdThat was before I crossed the line and became one of them. I see things differently from this side. I always liked the fact that Jesus made friends with the rejects, but now that I’m in this group, it’s a life-saver.

For Jesus, there are no distinctions: he loves and accepts us all–unconditionally.

What if we saw each other through Jesus’ eyes? As a friend reminds me, we’re all his favourites. In reference to the parable of the lost sheep, Rev. Stephanie Spellers, an Episcopal priest, says the Good Shepherd doesn’t return the one who is lost to the fold just because it’s in danger out there. It’s also because the ninety-nine other sheep need the one who has gone astray. We need “the other” in our lives and communities for our salvation, Spellers says.

We lost sheep may be difficult and frustrating, but Jesus thinks we’re indispensable.

So the next time you think you’ve crossed the line and have really done it this time, remember this: you’re indispensable and (e-hem) in good company.

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  So he told them this parable:  “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ –Luke 15:1-6 (NRSV)

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Love Mischief for the World

Marja in Mexico for emailMarja Bergen was first hospitalized with a mental illness as a young adult. Though she was sick, no one brought her flowers. Since then Marja has spent her life working to lessen the stigma of mental illness. She founded Living Room, faith-based support groups for people with mood disorders (now part of Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries). She has also written three books—Riding the Roller Coaster, A Firm Place to Stand, and Reflections for our Highs and Lows–and writes weekly meditations sent to hundreds of people who often feel alone and misunderstood. Thank you, Marja. What great love mischief you and God have been doing!

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and references:
“Crossed the Line” by Kendra. Used with permission.
Depiction of the Good Shepherd by Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne (1631-1681) from Wikipedia.
Radical Welcome: Embracing God, the Other, and the Spirit of Transformation by Stephanie Spellers
Photo of Marja Bergen by Wes Bergen. Used with permission.
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com
Posted in Popular Posts, Poverty of Spirit, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Pleasant Place of Shelter

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

snowy chain

The woman interrupted me mid-sentence. “You need to know that something you said two years ago really hurt me.”

I stood there stunned by the pain on her face and the anger in her voice.

She told me what I’d said and how it affected her. “I didn’t want to say anything,” she continued, “but since then I’ve been afraid to speak up in a group.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I’m glad you told me.”

“Well, it really shut me down,” she said curtly.

“I’m sorry,” I said again and we parted.

I thought about what happened as I drove home. I’ve sympathized with others who’ve been wounded by people they trusted. I vowed never to be one of “those people.” But I had to face facts: I can be. I was.

I braced myself for the full impact of the conversation to hit me. I anticipated being weighed down with shame and self-loathing. Why wouldn’t I? It’s been the pattern of my life for as long as I can remember.

But the heaviness didn’t come. While I carried remorse for my action and sadness for the woman I offended, I didn’t feel bad about myself. I got on with my day. St. Francis of Assisi said, “We must bear patiently not being good . . . and not being thought good.” Somehow God enabled me to do that.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux put it this way, “Whoever is willing to serenely bear the trial of being displeasing to herself, that person is a pleasant place of shelter for Jesus.”

Over the following days and weeks, I was given more opportunities to patiently bear my imperfections (which means more were revealed!). Serenity didn’t always come easily or quickly.

I had hoped the Christian life would make me virtuous; instead it’s making me a pleasant place of shelter. It’s making me humble.

Cozy Winter Cabin

Thus says the Lord,
    who makes a way in the sea. . .  
I am about to do a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
–Isaiah 43: 16a, 19a

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Love Mischief for the World

wff2015numbposterThe winter scenes above remind me of an Indie movie I saw recently called Numb which is set in British Columbia. This is director, Jason Goode’s  first full length film. After the show, he and others who had worked on or supported the film hosted a time of Q & A.  The audience was clearly thrilled with what the film makers had accomplished. The woman sitting beside me said most of the people in the theatre were from Jason’s church. It was great to see such support for the arts and for Jason and his team, who were simply doing what they loved. We don’t often think of movie making as caring for the earth. But can you imagine a world without this kind of creativity? I can’t.

What love mischief are you and God doing to care for the earth?
 Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
“Snowy Chain” by Olivier Noirhomme. Used with permission.
St. Francis and St. Thérèse of Lisieux quotes are from Eager To Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi by Richard Rohr
“Cozy Winter Cabin” by lmercer2011. Used with permission.

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.com

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Christ Has Risen Indeed

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

The Incredulity of St. Thomas by Carivaggio. 1601-2“The Incredulity of St. Thomas” by Caravaggio, 1601-2

The Incredulity of Thomas

Incredulity.
Words are wasted on his
impenetrable mind:
“Unless I see,
unless I touch.”

Incredulity
guards the heart
seals the tomb
from disappointment.

“Thomas!”
Voice charged,
words spark.
“See.
Touch.”

Incredulity
reaches out,
flesh toward flesh
until–

hope arcs
current flows.

One mind, one heart, one joy.

 

Credits:
“The Incredulity of St. Thomas” by Caravaggio, 1601-2
“The Incredulity of Thomas” by Esther Hizsa, 2014. Originally published April 19, 2014.
Scripture reference: John 20:24-29
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.  http://www.estherhizsa.wordpress.com.
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Holy Saturday

Posted on March 25, 2016 by Esther Hizsa

the_entombment_of_christ

Homeless

they take
him
down from the cross
his
PUTcold body pierced
PUTbruised mouth silenced
PUTsoft eyes blind

as he began
now at end
PUTwrapped in cloth strips
PUTlaid in wrong place
helpless
God

stone heaved
tomb sealed
sudden scream
PUTmine

guards curse
push me
PUT“Go home!”

can’t

have none
PUTbut
PUThim

Credits:
“Entombment of Christ” by Caravaggio, 1602-3.
“Homeless” by Esther Hizsa, 2014.
Originally published April 18, 2014
© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2016.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016  http://www.estherhizsa.com.
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