| TO DO OR NOT TO DO! Today is Labor Day in the U.S., a day to honor the goodness of work. Isn’t it timely that Luke has Jesus curing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, a day of rest? It brings up questions among the scribes and Pharisees about the appropriateness of Jesus “working” on the Sabbath. Is there an appropriate time for prayer and healing???? Paul speaks of the mystery of Christ in us. It is God’s energy within us that helps us to “do good work” at any time. The U.S. Labor Day is a day of rest and celebration.
The Psalmist prays: "only in God will my soul be at rest…” That great hymn reminds us of our rootedness and our hope for eternity. It reminds me now of my hermitage retreat in June in the high desert of Colorado. A friend and I decided to have a retreat adventure in the mountains and in a hermitage. I have made directed retreats since l972 so I brought my Bible and Journal and a good spiritual book. I knew God came to me in my dreams in past retreats also. I was all prepared for the Great God Adventure. I slept and slept, walked a bit, tried to pray and slept some more. Into my 3rd day of sleeping and beginning to feel guilty because I was DOING nothing, I realized I had altitude sickness and couldn’t do much. Walking a labyrinth on the 4th day I heard distinctly: “Just BE and LET GOD DO IT.” So I let go and encountered God’s loving me just watching the beauty of the desert out my big bay window. God’s energy in us, even when we are not aware of it, is our great peace and healing. |