Talking a walk together across the river. Will you join me?
"God's calling is found in the place
where one's deep gladness
meets the world's deep need."
Frederick Buechner
How do you find a way to respond to this call? Much contemplation, prayer and discussion will help you explore God's reflections. Sometimes we stumble across our calling when we are least expecting it. Sometimes we spend our whole lives searching and expecting God to drop a line or send an email only to realize it's up to us to simply go out into the world and find where gladness and calling cross paths on our own. Knowing it's out there is impetus enough to take part in the treasure hunt. We don't need to wait for God's green light. He gave it to us by giving us life. That is our green light.
Where and when does gladness sweep over me? Where do I feel the most resonating sense of "this is what I'm meant to do when it comes to helping meet the world's deep need?"
It envelopes me when I see the anxious timid man who has never felt unconditional regard lift his head to look me in the eye for the first time with half a smile and an admission that he has never told anyone his story before.
I am honoured.
It touches my glad heart when I'm visiting a woman in her cold unheated home, and who lives too far away from her family and any help from the services in the city, and she lets her guard down to let her tears well up and spill as she admits to suffering from a broken heart over the loss of her daughter 20 years ago.
I am suffering with her.
It holds my hand when I listen to a telephone message from someone I hadn't seen or spoken to in 5 years........calling to thank me for helping her a long time ago..... She just wanted to let me know.
I feel valued.
God's calling filters through to all of us in different rays of light........we all have something to offer others and in so doing, we find that we have received more in return. If you follow God's calling, you will always be shifting through the stretching towards understanding the meaning of life. You will never feel the same way again. Viktor Frankl said it best.....
"We can discover this meaning in life three different ways: 1)by doing a deed, 2) by experiencing a value, 3) by suffering."
This is where a calling dwells........ May I add one more word to end the quote?
"We can discover this meaning in life three different ways: 1)by doing a deed, 2)by experiencing a value, 3) by suffering" ................... Together.
I am more alive when I can help others feel more alive.
I am more alive if someone allows me to help them feel a sense of gladness.
I am more alive when others help me feel more alive.
It is the circle of life......... and I want to be a part of it.
This is where gladness and calling meet for me. How about you?
7 comments:
yes dana so vividly stated by you togetherness does make me realize my worth and value. It is when I get caught in my own head apart from sharing with another or somehow being isoplated that the green light God gave by giving life becomes clouded and foggy. Makes me again recognize the absolute value of the *one anothers* very good stuff my friend
Ah, yes, together. A brilliant word that means so much, and makes us so not alone in the wide expanse of the world. If only more of us used "together" as a meaning of life we would realize that it takes togetherness as the magical word in getting along.
I went to your last post of the doors and threshholds of your lovely town. Yes, one day I must get up there to visit.... if only to sit on your sunny porch and sip tea. We have much to discuss about world events, don't we?
hey Robert. I do believe that there are many things we need to do alone.....and in the end it's up to us alone to figure it out, but we often make it so much more difficult when there are other human beings around who possibly can be of good help in our personal journeys.
I spent the day on Friday meeting with three different individuals separately who all talked with such pain in their voices about how lonely they are......how isolated and lonely they feel. This is exacerbating their health, which was the real reason I had gone to visit them in the first place. Some of it happens naturally at this time of the year. People are suffering from serious depression cause from cabin fever. But, the loneliness these individuals were feeling was so deeply embedded because they feel completely disconnnected to any sense of community that we often take for granted.
My day on Friday precipatated this post........I was left with new learning and a new interested in trying.....trying to help these people reconnect to their lives and life in the community and feel a sense of togetherness and belonging.
It is what makes me thrive....it is what makes all of us thrive. We all need to reach out and be aware of the ones who need some human touch.
Ellen.....So glad you posted a comment! I just read about the Atlanta tornados! Man, you're getting some weather! Rain and rain and rain........it's a good thing as Martha S. would say.
I would love a visit from you, and I would take you for long lovely walks downtown.....to work up a good thirst for some umbrella drinks on the back deck...... You and your husband are always welcome.
I completely agree and I think you understand the meaning of live excellently. You are an inspiration and yes togetherness is a magic word. In Holland we have a saying which I already shared a while ago. Shared fun is double fun, shared sadness is half the sadness. Hard to translate properly but you know what I mean.
and like the dalai lama says "if you contribute to people's happiness you find the true goal, the true meanng of live"
Marja....thank you for your comments and contributions. I love that dutch saying.....half the sadness. Its so true.
And that Dalai Lama guy.....gotta love his smiling insights. thank you for sharing that quote.
Being quite isolated physically by my Health Issues, and having my life be so very very different because of it..."Alone" is how I have to do most things now---I mean in the actual physical sense.
Connecting to people through the Internet has been a great boon to me, but, if I am to be honest, it doesn't replace "together". So much of what we all do in this world is/are shared experiences. I know that has certainly been true of ALL I have ever been involved with, you know? And helping others has always been a big part of my life. Now, whatever I do is mostly done in this isolated state. Not easy. I empathize with those three people you visited on Friday Dana...And I must say, that ALL my previous experience in life, though often alone by choice so I could work and create--Eventually, would bring me back in contact with many many people. Trying to find the way to have some of that now without putting my body at risk...Well, it ain't easy.
I love that Dutch saying...Shared Sadness is Half Sadness...So very true....!
Naomi....I truly empathize with you, as I have a feeling you and I are a lot alike when it comes to the "aloneness" of creativity and even charging our own batteries but then stepping out to reconnect with others. If I was in your situation, I would find it just as challenging. As much as I love my time on my own, I also thrive on the energy of others too.
I'm so glad you've embraced all that is wonderful about the internet as a way to reach out to touch and be touched. It isn't the same, but thank God it's available. :)
I love that we are getting to know one another across the blog waves. You brighten my days.
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