Friday, December 22, 2006

Not my will, but Yours

Whether you have a degree or not (I don't),whether you're ordained or not (I'm not),
as a follower of Jesus there isn't a moment when you're not available for ministry,
not a location where you're exempt from doing His will. It's all just a matter of choice.

Not only in a "Christian" context does the seed of the Word get planted in the souls around us by every action, every word, even every thought that issues from our being.

The call of Jesus is so fundamental, so basic, so universal, and so available (in the Word of God) that most people miss it.

The incense smoke screen between the sacred and profane is pierced by a mere puff of breath, of the Holy Breath (το πνευμα το αγιον, to pnévma to ághion) who lives in us.

It's good that you say, "His will, not mine."
In a slightly different form, that's another one of the prayers of the hesychast—"Not my will, but Yours, not my thoughts, but Yours, not my love, but Yours, not my life, but Yours."

Over and over, we whisper it under our breath, we wake up hearing it flowing as the blood pulsing through our temples, we feel it reverberating with our very heartbeat. It is the background silence (ησυχία, hesychía) to our waking stream of thought.

Everything is consecrated now, all water is holy water, all paths walked in obedience to the call of Jesus become paths to paradise, though they pass through the valley of the shadow of death.

Go with God, dear brother, and pray for Romanós the sinner who prays for you. I am here with you.

2 comments:

Proverbs 31 work in progress said...

Whether you have a degree or not (I don't), whether you're ordained or not (I'm not), as a follower of Jesus there isn't a moment when you're not available for ministry, not a location where you're exempt from doing His will. It's all just a matter of choice.

Amen, Romanos! Now let us live this out. Yes? Yes.
laura jean

Suelo said...

I had to surf away from the bad energy coming into my blog comments & came upon what I so needed in yours: "Not my will, but Yours, not my thoughts, but Yours, not my love, but Yours, not my life, but Yours". It gives me shivers to the core. Thanks for your thoughts & this prayer - Light & Love shining away the dark & hate that want to seep into my being now. I had to google "hesychast" to find out what it is. Ah, my very food!