The good news that all those living in the land of shadow of death have been birthed into new life, that the transfiguration of suffering world has already begun. That suffering nourishes grace, and pain and joy are arteries of the same heart–and mourning and dancing are but movements in His unfinished symphony of beauty. Can I believe the gospel, that God is patiently transfiguring all the notes of my life into the song of His Son?
All is grace only because all can transfigure.Contemplative simplicity isn’t a matter of circumstances; it’s a matter of focus.
That’s the mystery map to the deep seeing! We saw His glory…because…we have all received one grace after another. We have all received one grace after another, but we only recognize the glory of God in this moment when we wake to the one grace after another. “If you want to be really alert to seeing Jesus’ diving beauty, his glory..then makes sure you tune your senses to see his grace,” urges theologian John Piper. “That’s what his glory is full of.” Grace–that is what the full life is full of, what the God-glory is full of. To see the glory, name the graces. To tune the impaired senses to sense the Spirit, to see the grace. Couldn’t I do that anywhere? Why is it so hard? Practice. Practice.
You have to want to see the well before you can drink from it. You have to want to see joy, God in the moment.
Learning slowly to not be so reactionary while inserting verbal gratitude into stressful situations is almost like being healed of mental blindness. I have begun to “see” again.
The practice of giving thanks…eucharisteo…this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don’t have to change what we see. Only the way we see.
Thanks is what builds trust.
Gratitude is the memory of the heart.
Remembering with thanks is what causes us to trust–to really believe.
He gave us Jesus. Jesus! Gave Him up for us all. If we have only one memory, isn’t this one enough?