The past few weeks have been full of work, family and a need for rest, all of which have been a factor in my falling behind
with blog posts, columns and prayer intentions. I mused over what I could share that would be short but meaningful as I try to catch up.
Then I noticed, again, the small inspirational poster hanging near my computer, given to me years ago by a friend who understands how important inspiration is to a writer.
The words belong to Sister Joan Chittister: “Our role in life is to bring the light of our own souls to the dark places around us.”
I think about these words a lot, especially when I am grappling with just what it is I am supposed to be doing with my life, something I assumed I would have a handle on by now considering my age.
I often wonder how many of us are truly aware of the light of our souls, and the difference each one of us makes in the world when we let our light shine.
In one of my favorite books, Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, the author offers some apt words for reflection: “One of the chief barriers to accepting God’s generosity is our limited notion of what we are in fact able to accomplish. We may tune in to the voice of the creator within, hear a message – and then discount it as crazy or impossible. On the one hand, we take ourselves very seriously and don’t want to look like idiots pursuing some patently grandiose scheme. On the other hand, we don’t take ourselves – or God – seriously enough and so we define as grandiose many schemes that, with God’s help, may fall well within our grasp.”
Many of us have been there, shaking off an inspired idea or mission, thinking God must have had a senior moment when sending us that message. In those times we need to trust in God, not our own perception of our limitations.
But one thing I have learned over a lifetime is that no grandiose scheme is necessary to make a difference.
It is evident to me in so many of my friends, family members and acquaintances who daily bring the light of their souls to the dark places around them, often times without realizing it. May God bless you in kind.
Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash