Saturday, March 23, 2013

In Every Step

This line from God's word has been ringing in my spirit for days...

"run with purpose in every step" (1 Cor. 9:26)

When I engage life from this angle I find it an adventure of discomfort and joy. Oh, that you and I would engage every morning, every evening, every workday, every holiday, every moment with purpose in every step. We have only one life to live.

Here is how Roosevelt put the same thoughts,

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Here is the way a Franciscan blessing puts it,
 
"May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths,
and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice,
freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain,
rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor."
 
AMEN!