Many of us are carrying around deep wounds in our daily lives, that for one reason or another, we don't talk about. But they weigh on us every day. You are not alone.
I so wish I lived closer to you. I so wish I could be there with you. I absolutely love your heart and I’m so grateful you let me walk with you through this written word. Someday, I’m gonna sit with you and your beloved. We’re gonna eat like Kings, kick back and soak in the goodness of each other’s company.
Until that day, I hold you and yours in my heart and prayers.
"Love is Pain" says it all. But our self-centered Age translates it "Eros is pain". To understand it as "Agape is pain" is more accurate. But unless you have met the crucified Jesus, you can't understand Agape. Agape your enemy; it will be painful. Bless those who curse you; pick up your cross and die. You feel his pain. Growing up a pre-Vatican Catholic, I knew about this fact. But it was only in the crisis of life and suffering that What I knew became incarnated as Who I knew.
Like Peter stepping onto the waves, we need to let go. Only by grace could I surrender what I thought was a solid foundation, and experience being caught up by a higher power and a stronger foundation.
Sounds to me that your family is being offered an opportunity. "If you choose to accept this mission", as the MI team used to say, you will experience the real, living, painful love of your enemy that will reveal Christ in you, our hope of glory.
It's a real testimony to the resilience of ordinary people that so many of us do as well as we do, most of the time, in spite of carrying mountains of pain. As a priest I've been privileged to hear the stories of many people from different walks of life who have endured terrible suffering as a result of family disfunction, as well as various traumas or unfortunate chemistry. I am among the latter. Throughout much of my life I've (in the words of one writer on mental health) been traumatized by my own brain; I have OCD. My mother had anxiety issues and my father was deeply impacted by his WW II experience in the Pacific. When we're asked, in the course of polite conversation, "how are you?", we all say "fine". But we're not fine, we're all suffering and in many cases barely holding ourselves together. Maybe we should cut each other more slack and recall we've all been thrown into this weird, beautiful and scary as hell world without our consent, and have to share our existence here with one another.
I so wish I lived closer to you. I so wish I could be there with you. I absolutely love your heart and I’m so grateful you let me walk with you through this written word. Someday, I’m gonna sit with you and your beloved. We’re gonna eat like Kings, kick back and soak in the goodness of each other’s company.
Until that day, I hold you and yours in my heart and prayers.
PS &@$# you and God bless
LOL
Father, you just made my day 😹
"Love is Pain" says it all. But our self-centered Age translates it "Eros is pain". To understand it as "Agape is pain" is more accurate. But unless you have met the crucified Jesus, you can't understand Agape. Agape your enemy; it will be painful. Bless those who curse you; pick up your cross and die. You feel his pain. Growing up a pre-Vatican Catholic, I knew about this fact. But it was only in the crisis of life and suffering that What I knew became incarnated as Who I knew.
Like Peter stepping onto the waves, we need to let go. Only by grace could I surrender what I thought was a solid foundation, and experience being caught up by a higher power and a stronger foundation.
Sounds to me that your family is being offered an opportunity. "If you choose to accept this mission", as the MI team used to say, you will experience the real, living, painful love of your enemy that will reveal Christ in you, our hope of glory.
You are in my prayers, brother.
-David
Thanks Steve, you are right, the wounds are deep, and the cross is heavy.
Hi Steve, excellent sharing. You are so on the right track, I'm actually giddy for you. 👍🎉🤸🕺🙂
It's a real testimony to the resilience of ordinary people that so many of us do as well as we do, most of the time, in spite of carrying mountains of pain. As a priest I've been privileged to hear the stories of many people from different walks of life who have endured terrible suffering as a result of family disfunction, as well as various traumas or unfortunate chemistry. I am among the latter. Throughout much of my life I've (in the words of one writer on mental health) been traumatized by my own brain; I have OCD. My mother had anxiety issues and my father was deeply impacted by his WW II experience in the Pacific. When we're asked, in the course of polite conversation, "how are you?", we all say "fine". But we're not fine, we're all suffering and in many cases barely holding ourselves together. Maybe we should cut each other more slack and recall we've all been thrown into this weird, beautiful and scary as hell world without our consent, and have to share our existence here with one another.
Another great one, thanks Steve.