"This has my mother written all over it" - Prince Charming quote from Cinderella
My son played the lead role in the high school musical Cinderella. God has given him such wonderful gifts and he sang so wondrously throughout the performance. The whole world is a stage and God is the audience. I am humbled and blessed by the beauty and providence of God all around me. I am about to go on vacation with my family this week and I look very forward to spending time with them and also seeking your face O God as time set aside for Sabbath rest.
I am taking along two books who the writers are becoming like spiritual mothers to me. The first is Teresa of Avila The Interior Castle which is so profound yet simple, so clear and yet so deep. I am also taking Julian of Norwich Revelations of Divine Love. God still gives his children visions and dreams to live out these divine directions and purposes for God in his good time. My youngest daughter who is married and lives far away is home this weekend and she is wondering what dreams she should be going after in her life.
I believe God has revelations of Divine Love for each of us who have spiritual eyes to listen and see. One way to learn truth is to listen to others who have gone before us. To learn from the saints who are now in heaven and have fought the good fight and are now enjoying eternal rest in the presence of God. Catherine Marshall book on prayer has a chapter about dream prayers for my daughter. I also just received before this vacation a book I believe timing is providential called The Spiritual Combat written by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli. This may be God preparing me for a major spiritual battle but I already sense in my spirit what God wants me to face are the inner demons and the battle of conquering my own flesh. When this happens, the results is total immersion into inner peace with God.
We all need spiritual mothers and fathers and we all need to learn from the example of the saints who have shown outstanding courage in their faith as they lived devoted surrendered lives for God. We have thought praying the same prayers would bring us closer to God and change us deeply but we must go farther into contemplative prayer. We have thought the Bible alone would change our minds and lifestyles just to find we are far more shaped by the world than by God's Word. We need a deeper life of community in the present and the witness of the saints in the past to help us along this road of faith in Christ. I praise God for spiritual fathers and mothers who have helped us "grow up" in Christ. Who are your spiritual fathers and mothers?
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