March 20, 2009 'Spread Out'

I spent most of my adult life pursuing comfort that came in my path as a gift from God for a better life. But over the past few years the greatest comfort has come through experiencing outward brokenness which through surrendering to it, brought inward brokenness and a catharsis for a more abundant 'inward' comfort, peace and life. I always thought the continuous flow of tangible gifts were from God for being a good servant, by 'doing' what I thought was right in His eyes. That is, a nice home, nice car, pantry full, good job, closet full and on and on but this was my misunderstanding. But now realizing that it was never in the 'doing' of anything and these gifts are definitely abundant gifts, so the overflow can be for His Kingdom, that is to tend, feed and love His sheep. I now realize they don't come as gifts for the doing, but rather total surrender to being His servant, and if they come, they come, if not that is okay too. In the surrendering we see His infinite provision and His love for us, that He never leaves us or forsakes us. The greatest peace and joy is in being His servant and not serving for the purpose of receiving.

As we tend, feed and love His scattered, hurting, searching sheep we are doing it for Him. If we spread out we can cover a greater area in the harvest field. The work has a unique assignment waiting for all who are willing to surrender to His call.

Paul wrote in Colossians 'Tell Archippus, See to it that you complete that work you have received from the Lord.'

A beautiful step by step description of our assignment for tending sheep, by St Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen.

An alternate translation Twelve Steps in Alcoholics Anonymous

Lord, make me a channel of thy peace;

that where there is hatred, I may bring love;
that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness;
that where there is discord, I may bring harmony;
that where there is error, I may bring truth;
that where there is doubt, I may bring faith;
that where there is despair, I may bring hope;
that where there are shadows, I may bring light;
that where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted;
to understand, than to be understood;
to love, than to be loved.
For it is by self-forgetting that one finds.
It is by forgiving that one is forgiven.
It is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.
Amen.


'Okay, everybody, spread out'


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