Day 15. Welcome to Truth of the Spirit. I am your host, Patti Brunner. This is day 15 of our series “Daily Meditations for Lent” and this is Wednesday of the second week of Lent. We have gathered words from the Lord shared during various Lenten seasons and will share these personal revelations and meditations for you to discern and contemplate each day during Lent. Today we will also share teaching from a few Lenten missions.
The Lord said to me, “Dear Child, when you open the eyes to your heart, you begin to see the pain and longing in those who have turned from Me but have not forgotten Me entirely. I give you a mission to touch the hearts of those who have placed barriers created by sin and earth, between their hearts and My Sacred Heart. Within the peace and calm of your own heart I will reveal both a ‘method’ and a ‘means’. The desire of your heart for a ‘gift to convert hearts’ opens you to my love, and reflection of My Love changes hearts as it releases the barriers placed in their hearts through pain, rejection, pride, selfishness and despair. My dear Child, listen to Me as I say this: You are not alone. I am with you always now and to the ends of the earth.”
The Lord shared this encouraging word on a Wednesday of the Second week of Lent, “My child, as you step out in faith, the faith of others is strengthened. You opened yourself to ridicule, but hear none. My kingdom is for them, too. And I urge them to know it. My Spirit is upon them strong with His Grace. Rest assured that the seeds you plant will not go un-watered.”
Today we want to share with you some of the words of the Lord’s servants, shared by those who planted seeds during the second week of Lent in Northwest Arkansas.
Lloyd & Nancy Greenhaw of G.R.A.C.E. Ministries presented a mission[i] titled “Empowering our Youth for the New Millennium”. As they taught on the blocks to healing, they said the number one block was unforgiveness. They explained that resentment is unforgiveness. They also gave information about occult blocks to healing. They explained that an occult block can be caused when choosing, placing or seeking something above God. They taught that God wants everyone healed, but He will not sacrifice our soul for the sake of our body.[ii] My favorite ‘seed planted’ comes from an illustration that Nancy gave about grace. It took root in my own ministry and through the next 20 years I adapted and shared the story with many others. I call it the Thimble and the Waterfall. The grace of the Holy Spirit that is pouring down on us in our abundant life as a Christian can be compared to the water flowing over the Niagara Falls. We take our thimble over to the falls and we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Since we are made of clay, the living water begins to stretch our little thimble and it grows to a cup size. With only a thimble full of water, our cup now seems empty—almost empty. We take the cup to the waterfall and once more we are filled with the Holy Spirit. But we stumble and some sloshes out. And we all have a few cracks and some leaks out. So we need to be repaired and go to back for more, but now we have a bowl. The Living Water grows us and stretches us and before too long we no longer feel the fullness of grace; we feel a little empty. We feel a little abandoned until we remember to take our wash tub to get filled with the Holy Spirit. And the more we have, the bigger our capacity grows and we drag our swimming pool over to the Niagara Falls of grace to get filled. Are you getting the picture? God will fill us no matter the size of our desire. And no matter where we are in our spiritual journey, there is always plenty of grace and more to receive. God delights in filling us to the brim and flowing over. Whenever we are willing to grow in size we will be filled to overflowing. Growth also comes from experience and in giving out. Where is the waterfall? Where do we find the source of Living Water? There are maps all over the place: Scripture, Church heritage, writings by Saints, Missions and ministries. All enhance our abundant life by pointing to Jesus who gives us the Holy Spirit! Our cup is filled with the holy, living water! If we never use or share it what will happen? It will get stagnant and is no longer refreshing to us. That happens to a lot of Christians. They’ll say, “I don’t get anything out of mass”. Or “the music at mass is really boring”. Or “I am too busy to pray.” They wait around doing nothing, and eventually they die of thirst. We’ve got to keep using and sharing what we have been given in order to grow. As soon as we share, God starts replenishing our supply, overflowing in us. And it’s fine if the overflow sloshes out. Abundant refreshment! We have so much to share. And the more we share, the more we’ll have.
Another Lent during a Women’s Retreat, Marilyn Smith talked about forgiveness. She said, “We will never understand the depth of God’s forgiveness.” She got my attention when she shockingly said: “God doesn’t give us grace for two things: Yesterday and tomorrow.” Marilyn explained, “The past shows up as guilt; the future shows up as worry. Worry and guilt are from meditating on the bad news. If you would meditate on the Good News, the Sacred Scripture, five minutes a day your mind would be renewed.” God’s grace flows now! Marilyn Smith said, “If you are in conflict with another, you and God can only change one of you: you!” She told us, “Almost no one gives as much love as they are capable of giving, nor receive as much love as they are capable of receiving. What is it that blocks you from receiving God’s love? What is it that blocks you from giving God’s love? It can be pain, painful memories.” She said, “We have been carefully taught our negative thoughts about ourselves; it has been poured over our heads. Our mission is to be loved by God, to feel loved by God, and to share God’s love with others.” Marilyn said, “When you ‘nurse’ a resentment it can get bigger than you are. But, when good comes in, the bad goes out. There is no room for as much guilt and worry. God doesn’t always change your circumstances but changes your response to your circumstances.” Marilyn encouraged us to take one step in forgiveness, just turn and take one step—God will meet you there. She told us, “A praying mother can change the world. A meddling mother can mess things up. You don’t know God’s timetable. ‘Let Go and Let God.’ He can do a better job than you can; He has unlimited resources!”[iii]
This Lent the Lord has more to tell us about forgiveness. This is Day 15. We invite you to subscribe or follow and come back tomorrow for our Daily Meditations for Lent – Lenten Logos with Patti Brunner. Remember: “The event of the Cross and Resurrection abides and draws everything toward life.”[iv] “Prepare for it, ready your heart.” The transcript of this episode is available at PatriarchMinistries.com/285. Come back tomorrow for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more. Amen
[i] 3-12-2001
[ii] 3-12-01 Mission at St. Raphael Catholic Church. G.R.A.C.E. Ministries were from Florida and later relocated to Texas.
[iii] March 9, 2000 Marilyn Smith of St. Louis Women’s Retreat at Rogers AR.
[iv] Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 1085
