Love and Time: Nurturing Our Spiritual Journey
As we journey through life, we are often challenged to reflect on the nature of our spirituality and where we invest our life energy. Recently, I came across a powerful message that resonated deeply with me, and I feel compelled to share it with all of you.
The message revolves around the idea that each one of us has a spirituality, whether we acknowledge it or not. It suggests that our spirituality is defined not merely by our beliefs or intentions but by where we invest our time, energy, and attention. This thought-provoking insight challenges us to examine whether our professed spirituality aligns with our daily practices and priorities.
The analogy of “how do you spell LOVE: TIME” struck a chord with me. It reminds us that how we spend our days ultimately shapes our lives. Are we investing our time in activities that reflect the values of love, grace, mercy, and tenderness we profess? Or are we allowing distractions to consume us, diverting our attention from what truly matters?
Fr. Ron Rolheiser has a beautiful saying that everyone has a spirituality. Everyone has a life energy that they put somewhere. One might say their spirituality is God, and then spend the day worrying about everything and never really practice the things that help us let go of worry. Is it possible, then, that the person’s spirituality is actually “worry”? One might say their Spirituality is God and then spend all their time gaming. Wouldn’t their spirituality be gaming? One may say their Spirituality is God and then spend all their time judging and obsessing over the rules of the Church to the point where what could be healthy boundaries of a sort have become chains for them and others. Wouldn’t that person’s spirituality be “rules”? …. Really, wherever you are putting your life energy, that is your spirituality. I find it to be an intriguing thought, indeed!
As we enter the season of Lent, it is a great time to reflect and realign ourselves. Lent encourages us to carefully observe what we are feeling with all of our hearts and to try to find peace in God - a God who is full of love, mercy, and tenderness. It also urges us to reassess our priorities and adopt daily habits such as praying more, making a decision to attend a small group study, make a step to engage in the church mission that brings us closer to the divine.
Scripture echoes the timeless truth: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV) These words serve as a beacon, illuminating the path of our spirituality with the radiant glow of divine love.
Therefore, let us strive to embody a spirituality grounded in love – a love that knows no bounds, barriers, or conditions. Let our actions speak louder than our words as we extend a hand of compassion to the marginalized, the oppressed, and the forgotten. Let us be beacons of light in a world shrouded in darkness, vessels of grace in a sea of turmoil.
As we embark on this sacred journey together, may we be guided by the timeless wisdom of Fr. Richie Rohr: “Jesus did not come to change God’s mind about us, but to change our mind about God.” May our hearts be transformed by our Creator’s boundless love and mercy, and may our lives be a testament to the transformative power of faith. May our spirituality be defined by daily practices that lead us closer to God and one another.
Do you know your spirituality? If not, I hope you seek it. Once you find it, make it a daily practice that brings your mind and heart toward grace and love.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, guide us to invest our energy in love, grace, and mercy. Lead us to deepen our relationship with You and with one another. May Your love illuminate our path and inspire us to spread kindness and compassion wherever we go. Amen.
Written by Rev. Kay Dubuisson
The message revolves around the idea that each one of us has a spirituality, whether we acknowledge it or not. It suggests that our spirituality is defined not merely by our beliefs or intentions but by where we invest our time, energy, and attention. This thought-provoking insight challenges us to examine whether our professed spirituality aligns with our daily practices and priorities.
The analogy of “how do you spell LOVE: TIME” struck a chord with me. It reminds us that how we spend our days ultimately shapes our lives. Are we investing our time in activities that reflect the values of love, grace, mercy, and tenderness we profess? Or are we allowing distractions to consume us, diverting our attention from what truly matters?
Fr. Ron Rolheiser has a beautiful saying that everyone has a spirituality. Everyone has a life energy that they put somewhere. One might say their spirituality is God, and then spend the day worrying about everything and never really practice the things that help us let go of worry. Is it possible, then, that the person’s spirituality is actually “worry”? One might say their Spirituality is God and then spend all their time gaming. Wouldn’t their spirituality be gaming? One may say their Spirituality is God and then spend all their time judging and obsessing over the rules of the Church to the point where what could be healthy boundaries of a sort have become chains for them and others. Wouldn’t that person’s spirituality be “rules”? …. Really, wherever you are putting your life energy, that is your spirituality. I find it to be an intriguing thought, indeed!
As we enter the season of Lent, it is a great time to reflect and realign ourselves. Lent encourages us to carefully observe what we are feeling with all of our hearts and to try to find peace in God - a God who is full of love, mercy, and tenderness. It also urges us to reassess our priorities and adopt daily habits such as praying more, making a decision to attend a small group study, make a step to engage in the church mission that brings us closer to the divine.
Scripture echoes the timeless truth: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39, NIV) These words serve as a beacon, illuminating the path of our spirituality with the radiant glow of divine love.
Therefore, let us strive to embody a spirituality grounded in love – a love that knows no bounds, barriers, or conditions. Let our actions speak louder than our words as we extend a hand of compassion to the marginalized, the oppressed, and the forgotten. Let us be beacons of light in a world shrouded in darkness, vessels of grace in a sea of turmoil.
As we embark on this sacred journey together, may we be guided by the timeless wisdom of Fr. Richie Rohr: “Jesus did not come to change God’s mind about us, but to change our mind about God.” May our hearts be transformed by our Creator’s boundless love and mercy, and may our lives be a testament to the transformative power of faith. May our spirituality be defined by daily practices that lead us closer to God and one another.
Do you know your spirituality? If not, I hope you seek it. Once you find it, make it a daily practice that brings your mind and heart toward grace and love.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, guide us to invest our energy in love, grace, and mercy. Lead us to deepen our relationship with You and with one another. May Your love illuminate our path and inspire us to spread kindness and compassion wherever we go. Amen.
Written by Rev. Kay Dubuisson
Posted in Mid-Week Devotional
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