Faith with the light you have

I just discovered this quote and I love it!

Faith

When you walk to the edge of all the light you have
and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown,
you must believe that one of two things will happen:

There will be something solid for you to stand upon,
or, you will be taught how to fly.

© Patrick Overton
The Leaning Tree, 1975
Rebuilding the Front Porch of America, 1997

Did this put a smile on your face when you read it, as it did on mine?

Peace, sparkles & light!

Light Shared

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
-Buddha (italics - mine)

Spread some light today -- share some happiness -- light a candle... :-D

Shakespear's Little Light

"How far that little candle throws his beams!
So shines a good deed in a weary world."
-William Shakespeare

Deep Gratitude

At times our own light goes out
and is rekindled by a spark from another person.
Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude
of those who have lighted the flame within us.
-Albert Schweitzer

Sister Wendy's Light

I am reading a delightful book, "Sister Wendy On Prayer," by Sister Wendy Beckett of PBS fame. You may have seen some episodes of the series she had giving her perceptions of paintings, famous and not, as an art historian. I only saw one or two of them several years ago, but was taken by her lovely spirit, her simple, honest, astute and lively analysis. I'm just starting this book, but already found a paragraph that I thought would fit nicely with the theme of this blog and hope you enjoy it, too.

"When we pray, we are...carried, borne along by a power that we do not and cannot direct. It is our prayer, our boat. It is we who have launched it on this sea of faith and we who stay quiet within it. But all the movement comes from God. We await Him, we surrender to Him. Where we want to go is not to the point; it is where God wants to take us. We do not see where that is. There is starlight, yes, but no sun or moon, no clarity of vision. Our world becomes duotone: scarlet sky, purple sea. All that is in our power is choice (as it is in life, which is meant to be prayer extended): do we stay still, hidden, unable to take control, or do we jump up and steer that boat ourselves, refusing God's lordship?" (p. 36)

Even if only a little startlight, there is still always a LIGHT to lead our way....

A Little Light

I've been so aware that I haven't written anything on this blog since Easter and it's really been bugging me! I have a lot of LIGHT quotes and writings and thoughts ready to be written about and shared, but haven't gotten to it. I did not want to let another day go by without sharing something and just had the thought of just putting a little light out there in the blogosphere for today. No heavy thoughts. No commentary. No musings and ponderings. Just a little light. Hope this makes sense to someone besides me! Here goes:

light LIGHT light light LIGHT light light light LIGHT light LIGHT light light LIGHT light light light LIGHT light LIGHT light light LIGHT light light light LIGHT light LIGHT light light LIGHT light light light LIGHT light LIGHT light light LIGHT light light light light light light......

HOLY WEEK & EASTER!!

This is the day the Lord has made, alleluia!
-Let us rejoice and be glad, alleluia!

We have traveled yet another 40 days and 40 nights of the Lenten Season, a desert time of solitude and solidarity, of prayer, and of mindfulness of life, of suffering, of meaning, and of impending death and sadness, lifelessness. And yet, even while in the darkness we have the inner knowing of hope, the reality of life and of life-giving LIGHT and love.

As I wrote in my last post, LIGHT explodes in the darkness! Life is renewed! Life is reawakened in our hearts, in our souls, in our world. It truly is -- if we have but eyes and hearts to see. And if we do not, all we must do is ask and it will be given us; it has been promised.

Alleluia! Alleluia!!
Jesus is risen!!
Alleluia! Alleluia!!
He is risen, indeed --
just as he said!
Alleluia! Alleluia!!

The path of life is a path through suffering; it is a path of birthing, of learning, of growing, of letting-go, of rejoicing, of grieving, and of healing. There are moments of clarity and moments of confusion; there are moments of darkness and moments of glorious LIGHT.

During the prayers of the holiest week of our Christian year we are united with Jesus, in all of the above -- all of our life's experiences are encapsulated in the Holy Week liturgies, readings, and prayers. We are immersed in the promises of our very own baptism:

"Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might life a new life" (Romans 6:3-4).

What an awesome gift to us from the God who loves us so much, a gift offered to us by the Church through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Our focus on Jesus' passion, death, entombment, and glorious resurrection plays out before us year after year, inviting us, luring us, enticing us, stirring and igniting out hearts, and embracing us fully, into union with God and with all of humanity.

We must remember:

"The darkness is over and the real LIGHT begins to shine. The one who claims to be in LIGHT, hating their brother [or sister] all the while, is in darkness even now. The one who continues in the LIGHT is the one who loves their brother [and sister]; there is nothing in them to cause a fall" (1 John 2:8b-10).

This is the day the Lord has made, alleluia!
-Let us rejoice and be glad, alleluia!

HAPPY EASTER!