The Well of Inspiration

By Colette Lafia | May 11, 2016

Wednesday Wisdom. The Well of Inspiration. 

This week, I am filling up at the well of inspiration, and I invite you to do the same. I would like to share a few thoughts that are inspiring me right now. As you read them, I invite you to begin to pay closer attention to the sources of inspiration in your life. Sometimes, we need to fill up from the well.

This quote is from Thomas Keating’s book, Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit: 

“It is our hearts that we are offering to God in Centering Prayer (I would like to add in all prayer)…” pg. 35.

This simple statement made me stop and ask myself: am I offering my heart to God as I pray? Are we too attached to our agenda when we pray, and what would it be like to see prayer as an offering of our hearts. I invite you to ask yourself this question in a prayerful, gentle way.

Another thought that is really inspiring me this week is from James Finley’s book, Merton’s Palace of Nowhere: 

“Our weakness remains, but it is a handed-over weakness, made strong in its openness and abandonment to God’s mercy.” pg. 88

This statement is one I’ve been reflecting on all week. I’ve bookmarked the page in the book, and I’ve been reading it before I go to sleep. Like most of us, I find myself repeating the same unwanted behaviors over and over again. I find hope in Finley’s reminder that when we release our weakness, they are transformed by mercy and love. The invitation here is not to cling to our limitations and let them define us, but rather to keep expanding from the power of love.

Practice

  • Write down, or bookmark,  a thought, phrase, or prayer that catches your attention–that is speaking to your heart right now
  • Keep it by your bedside table and ponder it as you go to sleep and when you wake up
  • Reflect on how the Spirit is moving and working in your life?

I end with this wonderful breath prayer from Stephen J. Binz’s truly inspiring book, Transformed by God’s Word:

Breathe in, asking to be filled with the presence of God’s Spirit.
Breathe out, letting go of your preoccupations and anxieties.

 

 

Posted in Path of Love