September 6th, 2013 Commentary to Henri Nouwen's Daily Meditation

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Daily-Meditation--Speaking-Words-of-Love.html?soid=1011221485028&aid=qND6638RMd0

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Friday September 6, 2013

Speaking Words of Love

Often we remain silent when we need to speak.  Without words, it is hard to love well.  When we say to our parents, children, lovers, or friends:  "I love you very much" or "I care for you" or "I think of you often" or "You are my greatest gift," we choose to give life.

It is not always easy to express our love directly in words.  But whenever we do, we discover we have offered a blessing that will be long remembered.  When a son can say to his father,  "Dad, I love you," and when a mother can say to her daughter, "Child, I love you," a whole new blessed place can be opened up, a space where it is good to dwell.  Indeed, words have the power to create life.

My Commentary:

I think one of the hardest spiritual formation learning curbs for me was coming to deeply acknowledge that God Loves me and he loves me unconditionally! Why would He? What could I have to ever offer Him?  There is nothing to offer accept GRACE.  These feelings I personally believe are our coming to grips with the reality of GRACE.  What does being grateful mean?  What shape does it take on in our lives’ stories?  In order to express love to one another, we need to reconcile our hearts to the reality that God, our heavenly, eternal, omnipresent parent loves each and every one of us more than we could ever imagine!  In order to pastor others in discipleship, that foundation of God’s love needs to be acknowledged, accepted and allowed to build—take root.  The first church that we have all to ourselves is the one built within us.  Its tabernacle is the soul and the Holy Spirit is life—the breathe of GRACE.  GRACE is the foundation of our personal relationship with Christ Jesus—living vertically.  Living out GRACE, sharing GRACE in loving neighbor is embracing the horizontal.  It is embracing the cost of discipleship, our cross.  Hearing I love you, is the beginning, saying I love you is the journey.

God Bless Your Fridays!

Nicole Collins