Thursday, November 20, 2008

Waiting With Patience - Henri Nouwen

Another great thought from Henri Nouwen...

Waiting with Patience

How do we wait for God? We wait with patience. But patience does not mean passivity. Waiting patiently is not like waiting for the bus to come, the rain to stop, or the sun to rise. It is an active waiting in which we live the present moment to the full in order to find there the signs of the One we are waiting for.

The word patience comes from the Latin verb patior which means "to suffer." Waiting patiently is suffering through the present moment, tasting it to the full, and letting the seeds that are sown in the ground on which we stand grow into strong plants. Waiting patiently always means paying attention to what is happening right before our eyes and seeing there the first rays of God's glorious coming.

Headline

Herod's Tomb Possibly Found

It Comes in Spurts

Spurts of insane busyness.

Spurts of activity around my desk.

Spurts of calm.

Spurts of hunger.

Spurts of thirst.

Spurts of understanding.

Spurts of confusion.

Spurts of anger.

Spurts of joy.

Spurts of peace.

Spurts of inspiration.

Spurts of motivation.

Today, life comes in spurts.