I Surrender To Love

Grief and Healing - Download the eBook

isurrender2love

Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings… – Psalm 17, WEB

We can spend our lives trying to please people and trying to deserve their love. We can get used to this way of living and loving that we don’t know how to receive love anymore. Love that pursues us. Love that doesn’t ask anything from us except that we receive it with trust and open arms.

Someone Loves Me Now

I am used to loving
used to giving
used to doing things
for the one I love.

But I have yet to be used
to being loved
to being given everything
by the one who loves me.

How can I ever get used
to receiving so much love?
To being the apple of his eye?

When can I ever get used
to being still, being me,
being happy
even though I know
I do not deserve
all that he is giving me?

But I have to get used to love,
used to his kisses,
used to his warm embrace.

I am not the one
who decides now
how things must happen.
I am not the one
who does everything anymore.

There is someone now
who is there for me,
who sees me,
and who will take care
of all my tomorrows
just as much
as he takes good care of me
today.

Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: ‘These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God’s eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting belief.”– Henri J.M. Nouwen

I Give You Rest

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“To saints, their very slumber is a prayer.” – St. John of the Cross

Sleep Now, My Child

Sleep now my child,
day has passed
and night has come,
come and rest upon my arms.

You have done much,
you gave it your all,
and now it’s time
to walk your way home.

Weep not for your falls
or for things left undone,
Worry not for tomorrow
for it is yet to come.

You have done all you could,
you have done your very best,
It is enough that you trust me,
and I will do the rest.

You are my child,
whether you work or you slumber
I gaze at you and I smile
just because of what you are.

You are mine, all mine
I have borne you in love
and in love I draw you closer
even as you rest upon my arms.

It is vain for you to rise up early,
to stay up late,
eating the bread of toil,
for he gives sleep to his loved ones.
-Psalm 127, WEBBE

Humility in Love

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If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself… – Philippians 2, WEBBE

It is never those who boast that draws our hearts. It is never those who are proud.

But we are drawn to those who never think too highly of themselves. Those who can always seem to think of something good in others around them.

It is not lack of confidence. It isn’t low self-esteem.

But it is in a soul that doesn’t even need to lift oneself up or to gain the regard of others. It is in that kind of confidence that doesn’t even need to think of oneself too often or too much.

Instead of focusing on themselves, they are intent on finding the good in others, too. They are keen to see their beauty.

They are those who are not afraid to praise other men, those who are not afraid to admit that someone can be better in this or that skill, or in this or that virtue.

Love occupies their hearts so much that there isn’t room for that kind of fear. What’s present is much room for thanksgiving and appreciation, and much room indeed for trust in God from whom all good things come from.

Here is your harvest. To believe oneself imperfect and others perfect – this is true happiness. Should earthly creatures think you devoid of holiness, they rob you of nothing, and you are none the poorer: it is they who lose. For is there anything more sweet than the inward joy of thinking well of our neighbor? – St. Therese of Lisieux

Joy in Humility

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Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord, although I am dust and ashes.” – Genesis 18:27, WEBBE

The life, strengths, and challenges God has given me, I’ve realized, were there to make me ever grateful and humble. To know how much I have received and how much I ought to give in return, and realize how little I am able to do so. To know how high a standard I must observe, and to constantly fall, unable to rise without holding on to His Hand. To be given a vision of what one can do, and to bear the inability to do them. To see others accomplish what I could never do. To be content with what little acts of love I am capable of. And to be the beloved of Him who is all perfect and pure despite my lowliness. Such great reasons for humility and for unutterable joy!

I confess I am much happier because of my weakness than if – sustained by grace – I had been a model of patience. It does me so much good to see that Jesus is always sweet and tender towards me. Truly it is enough to make me die of grateful love. – St. Therese of Lisieux

Love Endures

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Love… bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13, WEBBE

To love another is not always to experience days of elation and happiness. It is not a constant feeling of romance, of starlit nights and roses, of endless sweet nothings, of chocolates and champagne and lovely sunsets spent in each other’s arms.

In this life, to love another is to be able to accept everything and bear everything for the sake of that love. It is both living in joy as well as living in sorrow. It is both in bearing the storm and in rejoicing as the sun shines again. It is sharing days filled with adventure as well as days filled only with silence. It is keeping that flame of love alive both in days with your beloved and in days of waiting while he or she is gone.

Love is in life, but it isn’t fearful of death. Love is in health, but it isn’t weakened by sickness. Love is in wealth, but it isn’t conquered by poverty.

For love is beyond death or sickness or poverty. Love has health and wealth and life of it’s own. It endures everything and triumphs always in the end. In truth, if love be true, there really is no end. Only times of waiting and of silence, until it comes and revives us all again.

“O my God, I ask Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to… accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in Heaven, for all eternity.” – St. Therese of Lisieux