HENRI J.M. NOUWEN
Fear and anxiety never totally leave us. But slowly they lose their domination as a deeper and more central experience begins to present itself. It is the experience of gratitude. Gratitude is the awareness that life in all its manifestations is a gift for which we want to give thanks. The closer we come to God in prayer, the more we become aware of the abundance of God’s gifts to us. We may even discover the presence of these gifts in the midst of our pains and sorrows. The mystery of the spiritual life is that many of the events, people and situations that for a long time seemed to inhibit our way to God become ways of our being united more deeply with him. What seemed a hindrance proves to be a gift.
Thus gratitude becomes a quality of our hearts that allows us to live joyfully and peacefully even though our struggles continue
Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.
REFLECTION
Gratitude is a powerful force – in renewing human relationships, in drawing us closer to God, in helping us see the struggles of life and caregiving in new light. And not only do we see differently, we enter more fully into our stories and expect that God will be present in our sorrows. From our limited human experience, peace may be external and fleeting–a time without too many trials–but from God’s perspective, peace flows out of knowing God more deeply.
• Name some fears and anxieties that have never totally left you. What effect have they had?
• If you had a great level of inner peace, how might that change your caregiving story?
Our God, a joyous variety of life reveals the unlimited ways to know you and to bask in your healing love with grateful hearts. Amen
*Taken from the book, HOPE FOR CAREGIVERS, a 42-Day Devotional in Company with Henri J. M. Nouwen