From Where I Sit in this Foreign Cathedral by Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&view=post&articleid=196279&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
By Chase Butler
There's a saying that goes like, "Be nice to everyone you meet, because everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about." I was reminded of this in one of the cathedrals we toured in Ireland when I stumbled upon a prayer book written by people passing through from all over the world. Two recent entries in particular stood out to me. I'm assuming they were written by a couple that was there together. The first read, "Lord, help us find the faith we've lost, and help us help others do the same."
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There's a saying that goes like, "Be nice to everyone you meet, because everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about." I was reminded of this in one of the cathedrals we toured in Ireland when I stumbled upon a prayer book written by people passing through from all over the world.
Two recent entries in particular stood out to me. I'm assuming they were written by a couple that was there together. The first read,
"Lord, help us find the faith we've lost, and help us help others do the same."
And the second,
"I have lost my faith when my most precious and beautiful daughter was lost 7 months ago. She was only 23. This has ruined me. Help!"
Written just a day before we were there, someone had stood in the exact spot I was standing, crushed from their loss but hopeful enough to write a few words in desperation.
It took me aback for a second. As I flipped through more pages, I realized this was not the only one of its kind. Many had spilled their hearts, the words laced in grief and sorrow, while others expressed praise and gratitude.
It was a sobering reminder and encouragement. Suffering is a binding agent for humanity. It's a common denominator for all who have walked the earth. For centuries we've cried out, in Psalm-like fashion, in our hearts, homes, churches and cathedrals.
We've gravitated time and time again to the promise of a loving God, a God who is with us, Emmanuel, in the suffering. And the story continues, the prayer books keep getting filled.
No one is immune to the pain. In the double-edged beauty of living we accept the good and the bad, so it's not only helpful but imperative to keep sharing in our suffering, because one of the most important messages we must continue to perpetuate is...
...you are not alone.
Chase Butler
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=234074&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
There seems to be a recurring topic that continues to come up in my life—the balance between contentment and goals. Do I appreciate what I have, and am I working towards something meaningful that forces me to grow? An either/or approach never works. On one hand, you lend yourself to apathy and stagnation. On the other, you live under the tyranny of nothing ever being enough, endless striving that costs you something you never intended. I don't pretend to have this figured out. Every once in a while, I sense the alignment between the two within myself, but it's normally a fleeting moment followed by the pendulum tipping back towards one side.
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There are moments when I long for an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, or hope and receive nothing. Even in earnest seeking, eager anticipation, a proper posture, an open heart, a willing spirit—nothing. Then there are moments when I receive an answer, clarity, inspiration, relief, and hope when I least expect it. Not seeking, not anticipating, yet a glimpse is given. So what to conclude?
http://www.identitynetwork.net/Articles-?blogid=2093&url=10&view=post&articleid=231499&link=1&fldKeywords=&fldAuthor=&fldTopic=0
If the idea of selling everything and living out of a backpack on the road sounds like a nightmare instead of a grand adventure, this post might not be for you. If challenging the status quo and questioning societal norms in the pursuit of a full and satisfying life sounds intriguing, then let's continue. The beauty of friendship is that conversations tend to draw out aspects of yourself that otherwise would have been left untouched and dormant, or at the very least overlooked or ignored.