… watching for the brushstrokes of God
…”Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear,
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye
clear. What we need is here.” Wendell Berry
How do you know what you need?
“I’ve got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry…
…Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
‘Til I can rest again.” Maya Angelou
In the midst of the storm, what helps you float?
…”Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting – over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.” Mary Oliver
What are you being offered?
“Be tender with your little ones, O God,
Steady our souls as we learn to live.” from common prayer
Where do you need God’s gentle touch?
“Death is part of a much greater and much deeper event, the fullness of which we cannot comprehend, but of which we know that it is a life-bringing event. . . . What seemed to be the end proved to be the beginning; what seemed to be a cause for fear proved to be a cause for courage; what seemed to be defeat proved to be victory; and what seemed to be the basis for despair proved to be the basis for hope. Suddenly a wall becomes a gate, and although we are not able to say with much clarity or precision what lies beyond the gate, the tone of all that we do and say on our way to the gate changes drastically.” Henri Nouwen
How does the gate change our perception of death?
“One of the greatest of spiritual attainments is the capacity to do nothing.” Dallas Willard
How do you know God’s embrace?
With the Eyes of the Heart 