Wednesday, March 10th, 2021
Hello friends, welcome and thanks for stopping by my blog. Today my devotional will include words like; memory, spirit and saintliness.
❇️ Deuteronomy 4:9 ❇️
“But take care, as you value your lives! Do not forget the things which you yourselves have seen, or let them slip from your heart as long as you live; teach them, rather, to your children and to your children’s children.”
▪️ Saintliness is a quality of being so virtuous that you’re almost too good to be true. In a literal sense, saintliness describes the quality of a saint, someone considered to be holy by a particular religion. This word is also apt for anyone who is extremely good and kind.
▪️ Memory is the power to retain and recall information and past experiences. Your brain’s memory helps you recall lots of memories — like multiplication tables and bad dates. The word memory applies to both the individual facts and experiences you remember as well as the brain’s ability to contain it all.
▪️ Spirit comes from the Latin word for “breath,” and like breath, spirit is considered a fundamental part of being alive. Some people think of the spirit as a presence that’s separate from the body, which is why spirit is another word for ghost. We also use spirit to mean “the general mood or intent. The spirit is also in reference to the Holy Spirit of God.
🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳🔲🔳
John 16:7,13 (NIV)
“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
Henri Nouwen writes this about memory, “Jesus reveals (in the verse from above) to his closest friends that only in memory will real intimacy with him be possible, that only in memory will they experience the full meaning of what they have witnessed. (1). Jesus’ friends/disciples listened to his words when he spoke of his death and resurrection, but their ears and eyes remained closed and did not understand. (2)[paraphrased]. It was only after Jesus had gone, ascended to heaven did his true spirit reveal itself to them. The divine revelation is that God entered into intimacy with us not only by Jesus’ coming, but also by his leaving. It is in the absence that our intimacy, our connection to God is so profound. We can now understand as Jesus’ friends and disciples understood and can say that his Spirit dwells in us, with us and all around us. Indeed, he is food and drink for the soul. (3)[paraphrased].
After, reading the entirety of Nouwen’s devotional for today, memories of my mom flooded my mind. My mom passed away nearly eight years ago and I am still learning lessons from her today. Many lessons could only be realized in her absence. I leaned upon my mom for advice and although we were always close as mother/daughter, we were also in the midst of a true adult friendship and I miss her so much. She never failed to love and support me in all my endeavors. She was always my biggest fan. I loved her deeply and after she passed, I realized just how profoundly I loved her. It’s true, you what they say about missing someone…
“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”—Theodor Seuss Geisel
By no means am I comparing Jesus and my mom, but I can say with certainty I understand the intimacy part more fully now. Sadly, I admit I did not always listen well when my mom was here with me, and I have wished for her presence on many occasions. I miss her and I am thankful for everything she taught me. I am very blessed. God is good, God is always good.
“Her absence from is like the sky, spread over everything.” ~C.S. Lewis
The redemptive events of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is life giving memories, they sustain and nurture us and gives us the firm faith foundation we need as we traverse through this earthly life, it’s daily events and the many crises of our lives. (4).
Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life!
— John 14:6 —
Saintliness is living without division between word and action. In Jesus no division existed between his words and his actions, between what he said and what he did. His words were his actions, his words were events. He not only spoke about changes, cures, and new life but actually created them. Jesus is the Word made flesh; in that Word all was created and by that Word all is recreated. (5). John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”
Lenten M•I•C•R•O Practice for today:
~ Prayerful Encounters – Day 19
Pray for others you encounter in your day – whether you know them or not. Did you pray for someone unexpected?
▫️ Prayer ▫️
We give thanks to you, God,
we give thanks to you,
as we call upon your name,
as we recount your wonders.
But I shall speak out for ever,
shall make music for the God of Jacob.
— Psalm 75:1, 9
~Charlotte, the Seeker of unexpected Comfort, Happiness, Joy and Patience.
References:
Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing
(1) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 70, paragraph 1.
(2) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 70, paragraph 2.
(3) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 71, paragraph 1.
(4) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 71, paragraph 2.
(5) Show Me The Way — Henri J.M.Nouwen • 1992 The Crossroad Publishing • Page 71, paragraph 3, 4 respectively.
(NIV) New International Version Bible/Translation
(NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Apocrypha
(NJBV) New Jerusalem Bible Version/Translation
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