October 26, 2007

Words of Wisdom

"May all of your expectations be frustrated. May all of your plans be thwarted. May all of your desires be withered into nothingness, that you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit."
(given to Henri Nouwen by his spiritual mentor)

One of my favorite quotes. It was given to me by a friend a long time ago. She wrote it on the envelope for a card she sent me. It's now on the wall next to my alarm clock. Every once in a while, it still gets me, and lately it has been speaking to me again.
Can we truly know God and see Him when everything is perfect? I'm sure we can. But sometimes it's much easier to do when the world has crumbled down around us. When I realize I have nothing is when I see that He is everything. Learning through the tough times is never easy, but I won't forget the lesson anytime soon either.


On another note, I realize that I've posted a lot about TV lately. Are you sick of it yet? I wouldn't mention "the idiot box" (as my mom used to call it when I was young. I was obsessed with it even back then!) tonight, except it's Friday Night, and we all know what that means. Or should I say we all know where I'll be from 9-10pm tonight....I'm OCD, I know.

1 comment:

jessica said...

That's one of my absolute favorite quotes. I first read it in a book called Ragamuffin Prayers, long before I knew much about Brennan Manning. I later heard him speak and he gave that quote in his Irish accent. It still moves me as well. There is so much truth in it. I'm glad to be back and thankful for your ever faithful words of wisdom.