with one another moment

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the panther lie down with the kid,
calf, lion and fat-stock beast together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze,
their young will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like the ox.
The infant will play over the den of the adder;
the baby will put his hand into the viper's lair.
No hurt, no harm will be done on all my holy mountain
for the country will be full of knowledge of Yahweh
as the waters cover the sea.
(Isaiah 11:6-9)

pearl moment

the pearl

begins its existence as an irritant
invading the home of an oyster
moving in where it is not invited
nor wanted
where it does not belong

it sneaks in through a tiny opening
just a crack

the oyster host does not welcome this invasion
the oyster is no longer comfortable in its own home
the oyster is no longer at ease

the oyster reacts
by slowly
silently,
steadily wrapping this irritant in a secretion of mother of pearl
until the irritant no longer irritates
but fits comfortably
and begins to dwell seurely with the oyster
protected and hidden in the oyster's own home

the oyster adjusts to welcome the pearl

the irritant is now a pearl
something of great beauty and great value
yet remains hidden in a secure place
until exposed to the world

it's very releasing bringing about the death of the one who caused it to be

and this is God's design

and how do we
do I
react to an irritant invading my ease

do I try to kick it out
shove it aside
most irritants in our lives come in the form of a person

and we,
during the invasion
in our discomfort
our loss of ease
we tend to forget this irritating person
is simply a pearl in disguise

and so we must choose how to react
do we coat this irritant with anger
hard words
judgement
disdain
shunning

or do we wrap what appears to be simply a piece of grit
in a mother of pearl coat of love
warmth
mercy
and grace
providing shelter and protection
while watching what God will do

and thus have the privilege of partnering
with Almighty God
in the birthing of a pearl
of great price

are we willing
am I willing
to die
to my own comfort
my own ease
so another may live

shoot moment

The small child of Bethlehem,

the unknown young man of Nazareth,

the rejected preacher,

the naked man on the cross,

he asks for my full attention.

The work of our salvation

takes place in the midst of a world

that continues to shout,

scream,

and overwhelm us with its claims and promises.

But the promise is hidden in the shoot that sprouts from the stump,

a shoot that hardly anyone notices

Henri Nouwen

praying moment

to pray

is to wait

for the God

who comes

Carlo Caretto

longing moment

Just as in earthly life
lovers long for the moment
when they are able to breathe forth their love for each other,
to let their souls blend in a soft whisper,
so the mystic longs for the moment
when in prayer
he can,
as it were,
creep into God.”
Soren Kierkegaard

wise moment

the wisdom of the present moment

sometimes means

saying

no

to someone

child moment

a little child has
no knowledge
no power
no capacity
no independence
no survival skills
no defenses

and Jesus says

UNLESS you change
and become like a little child
you will not enter

and I have been wondering
how to undo all I have learned
give up all power
empty myself
allow myself to become dependent
be wide open
naked
and vulnerable

and found myself striving
to do this

and the answer was always right in front of me

be still
and know
while being known

it is in His Presence
all but Him
the One and only
is swept away

the noise of the hurricane of busyness
must be stopped
in order
to hear
THE
whisper

the whisper
that causes me
to be
like a child
with my Father

dance moment

there are tears that fall in the night
silent
unseen
unbidden

tears that wet the pillow of pain
of sadness
of loneliness

they come slowly
hesitantly
soundlessly

an admission
an acknowledgement
of a hidden truth

there is a release in the nakedness
a freedom in the vulnerability

the feet of hope
that had lost their dance
begin to move ...............
to find a rythm

these tears do not fall unnoticed

there is one who watches
who cares
who extends his arms
and asks

will you dance

with me?

broken moment

hate

breaks

more

than

bones

pierces deeper than any bullet

is like an IED buried in the soil of a person

exploding carnage

into anyone who might inadvertently trip the trigger

be moment

be still

and know

that I am God

be still

and know

that I am

be still

and know

be still

be

humble moment

Humility is the attitude of one who is like the soil.
Humility comes from the Latin word, humus, fertile ground.
The fertile ground is there,
unnoticed,
taken for granted,
always there to be trodden upon.
It is silent,
inconspicuous,
dark and yet it is always ready to receive any seed,
ready to give it substance and life.
The more lowly
the more fruitful
because it becomes really fertile
when it accepts all the refuse of the earth.
It is so low that noting can soil it,
humiliate it;
it has accepted the last place and cannot go any lower.
In that position
nothing can shatter the soul's serenity,
its peace
and joy.
Anthony Bloom

new moment

one does not discover new lands

without consenting to lose sight of the shore

for a very long time

Andre Gide

whisper moment

a whisper

allows me to cry

in the garden

of God's grace

silent moment

there is a stillness in the air
and in the land
this day

a crispness
in this valley between seasons

earlier I bundled up
to walk deep into the woods
to stand
among the quiet standing

leaves rained down
noiseless
falling
and landing

it was as if the land
was being soaked
with silent tears

and I thought of those
who cry alone
in the night
unseen
unheard

and I prayed for arms
to come 'round

a shoulder
to lean on

a hug

a wordless touch .........

messy moments

while making squash soup the other day
I found myself hesitating a bit
before plunging my hands into the gucky part
the part that contains the seeds
the seeds which carry new life

and I thought of ministering within the body
how it is sometimes necessary
to plunge into the gucky part
get our hands dirty
in order to reach
and free
the seed buried within

the seed that carries new life

speech and silent moment

God the Father has only spoken one Word, his Son.
Sometimes we make music for the Lord in conversation --
for speech is a blessed gift.
Sometimes we rest together side by side, in the presence of the Word;
a deep sharing can then take place.
The divine Word will instruct us.
Perhaps what we all need is to listen a little more attentively
to the stirring of his Spirit within us,
that we may know the time to speak
and the time to be silent,
so that both speech and silence
will be used only for God’s glory

written by a Modanna House worker

tarshish moment

in Tarshish

one can have a wonderful religious career

without having to deal with God

eugene peterson

longing moment

longing to live in the truth of the unseen

not just survive the obvious

hidden moment

The tiny hand of the fearless child
can slip through the bars of the prison of egoism.
He is the one who can open the lock and set free.
And God hides himself in the child.

Jean Vanier

standing moment

she stands
in quiet solitude

with a silent shudder
in the midst of an unexpected coolness
her leaves begin to fall
slowly at first
then in a bit of a rush
laying out a blanket of poured out life

gnarled and grey
she stands

in a new nakedness
freshly vulnerable
one by one
she drops her branches
incapable of bearing their weight

aching in the open wound of great loss
she stands

no longer able to offer shade
or nourishment
she stands

facing an uncertain horizon

she stands

while entering a sacramental season of waiting
in acceptance of her approaching winter