It had been one of those days: my 3 year old was tearing up and down the aisles of our grocery store despite my protests, my newborn was issuing plaintive cries of hunger as I lamely shoved a pacifier her way, and I discovered after an hour of shopping and bargain hunting that I had forgotten my wallet at home. It was all I could do to pray for strength as I gritted my teeth and dragged both cart and toddler to customer service to ask that my cart be held so I could go home to get my wallet.
A chance encounter with a friend later in the day found me relating the tale with slightly lower blood pressure but still with more than a modicum of "why me?" My friend, twenty years my senior, laughed and told me that days like those remind her that sometimes you just have to "throw it in the fire." Her explanation for this somewhat cryptic remark was fascinating: whenever life hands her an irritation that, while troublesome, is out of her control, she envisions a bonfire in her heart and actively chooses to throw in whatever is standing between herself and peace.
I found myself thinking of this several times over the next few days, and I experimented with throwing into my own "inner fire" whatever wasn't helping live my own life mission. It was easy when the irritation was external (ie someone cut me off in traffic), but more difficult when it was my own emotions or thoughts that needed to be let go.
I also challenged myself to "throw in the fire" my own selfish urges and fears and pay closer attention to what I thought God might be leading me to do, see, or feel. Instead of living in an emotionally reactive way, I found myself much more receptive (not to mention my blood pressure much lower!).
To extend my friend's image, I imagine that throwing my own fears and selfish desires into the proverbial fire can "try" my faith into greater purity; a faith more aligned with my goal of serving God by responding with love, mercy, and justice to God's people.
Do you have images or other reminders that you use to let go of thoughts that aren't serving you? How have you found that they help your faith grow?
A chance encounter with a friend later in the day found me relating the tale with slightly lower blood pressure but still with more than a modicum of "why me?" My friend, twenty years my senior, laughed and told me that days like those remind her that sometimes you just have to "throw it in the fire." Her explanation for this somewhat cryptic remark was fascinating: whenever life hands her an irritation that, while troublesome, is out of her control, she envisions a bonfire in her heart and actively chooses to throw in whatever is standing between herself and peace.
I found myself thinking of this several times over the next few days, and I experimented with throwing into my own "inner fire" whatever wasn't helping live my own life mission. It was easy when the irritation was external (ie someone cut me off in traffic), but more difficult when it was my own emotions or thoughts that needed to be let go.
I also challenged myself to "throw in the fire" my own selfish urges and fears and pay closer attention to what I thought God might be leading me to do, see, or feel. Instead of living in an emotionally reactive way, I found myself much more receptive (not to mention my blood pressure much lower!).
To extend my friend's image, I imagine that throwing my own fears and selfish desires into the proverbial fire can "try" my faith into greater purity; a faith more aligned with my goal of serving God by responding with love, mercy, and justice to God's people.
Do you have images or other reminders that you use to let go of thoughts that aren't serving you? How have you found that they help your faith grow?
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