Henri Nouwen Quote

I received the following short meditation written by Henri Nouwen in my email this morning. I found it profound, and thought I'd share it with all of you.

Light in the Darkness
We walk in a "ravine as dark as death" (Psalm 23:4), and still we have nothing to fear because God is at our side: God's staff and crook are there to soothe us (see Psalm 23:4). This is not just a consoling idea. It is an experience of the heart that we can trust.

Our lives are full of suffering, pain, disillusions, losses and grief, but they are also marked by visions of the coming of the Son of Man "like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into west" (Matthew 24:27). These moments in which we see clearly, hear loudly, and feel deeply that God is with us on the journey make us shine as a light into the darkness. Jesus says, "You are the light of the world. Your light must shine in people's sight, so that, seeing your good works, they may give praise to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

Praying for a Miracle

What do you say when a friend calls to tell you that she was surprised her mom made it through the day, and wasn't sure she'd make it through the night? What do you say to the announcement that the cancer in her body has tripled in the last week or so, and that she is saying "I want to go home"? What do you say when confronted with the fact that one last Christmas with her mom - one without major family strife is the dream of my friend - and something that is only days away is still probably too far?

I've spent so much time with this friend over the last months. And we're praying for a miracle. Our house church is begging Jesus to give them Christmas together. If you have a minute these nexts days, we'd love for you to join us in this prayer. To pray that God's comfort will overwhelm this painful situation, that his presence will be known and felt in a powerful way in the lives of this family who lost a member last Christmas, and is poised to lose another one this year.