beWARM

The human spirit is the lamp of the Lord. ~ Proverbs 20:27

The Lenten 40, Day 3

I so love this Scripture reference.  It immediately reminds me of the beautiful hearts of the villagers in Peren Town, Nagaland, India, whom we served for 2 weeks on a medical mission.  Their love for the Lord was such an inspiration; the post All is Welling is about them.

God’s love burned brightly in the heart of our dear Margaret, who is finally – and thankfully – cancer-free, and in heaven, resting peacefully. During Margaret’s long battle with cancer, visitors would come away feeling uplifted by her valiant spirit and unflagging faith, when their intentions were to bring her a bit of cheer.  Her inspiring spirit will be missed by many.

Today Muyskens speaks of the pilot light that is implanted in each of us – gifted by God, connecting us to the Holy Spirit.

Imagine every person you see with that little flame alight in their hearts, just waiting for the spark that will increase the power to a full burn. The thought that God lives within each and every one of us, just waiting for us to fully receive Him, warms my heart.

Quoting from the book, Muyskens says the following:

Prayer expresses our willingness to have the flame within rekindled.  The quiet time allows the inner flame to burn brightly and transform us.  In Centering Prayer we let go of everything and choose a word that expresses our consent to God’s presence and action within us. As thoughts draw us away from communion with God, we return to that prayer word as a way of turning again to God.  Using that word we stay with our desire to receive the loving presence and healing action of Christ.  We disregard thoughts that can hinder the fire within. We allow the love of Christ to burn away the resistance and obstacles to communion with God. We are purged of desires that so often draw us away from God.

Have you ever felt the intensity of God’s love within – or is your pilot light still waiting for the heat to be turned up?

I encourage you to take time each day for Centering Prayer. The love of God which will be set aflame may very well spark the pilot light of someone else in your life.

Today’s Lectio: Acts 2:1-4

My Word –  FILLED             My Phrase – FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

At Pentecost, God appeared in a spectacular way – through violent wind, tongues of fire, and an earthquake.  He isn’t always so dramatic with us, but He does make His voice known, if we just pay attention.  Sometimes He barely whispers to make His point. I pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can be so attuned to God that we will be aware of the smallest nuances of His messages – and that our inner flames will grow into bonfires of love for Him, whose love is immeasurable.