“The raging torrents of our tumultuous times have made it very hard not to lose sight of the light and not to let ourselves drift away into the darkness . . .

When we have been remodeled into living witnesses of Christ through solitude, silence, and prayer, we will no longer have to worry about whether we are saying the right thing or making the right gesture, because then Christ will make his presence known even when we are not aware of it.”

-Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart

For Your Weekend

Do you feel breathless today? Worn-out, a little teary, a fog of doubt and a shadow of anxiety lingering close by?

When our  local, national, and global communities are struggling, the body works best when we each give what we have to give and offer our gifts fully as ourselves. As one writer in today’s links points out when it feels like darkness is winning, “time gives a chance for hope to grow” (Erin Ulerich).

But time to reflect, lament, and consider hope doesn’t present itself to us. We have to fight for it.

In my corner of the world, I believe one gift I have to offer is to help create space for the soul to breathe, and that includes finding a quiet path for us in the midst of the rubble and heartache to let hope grow.

This isn’t easy, rarely quick, and never clean. But we continue to move forward, to allow space for grief and questions, and to hold on to the presence of Christ.

By faith we can carry both our confusion and our salvation, receiving the movement of Christ toward us and within us as we do the next right thing in love.

May these links move us an inch closer to that end today. Enjoy your weekend friends.

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The Prayer of Lament: What To do When We Don’t Know What To do by Ruth Haley Barton

Resources I Find Helpful for Racial Reconciliation by Annie F. Downs

How to Feel Free by Nikki for The Peace Notes

Created for Pause by Kitty Hurdle

When It Feels Like the Darkness is Winning by Erin Ulerich

And for light-hearted, boss lady fun:

The Lazy Genius Podcast where Kendra calls me the Soul Whispering Boss Lady and we talk about the difference between dreaming about ideas and actually making them happen.

If you like what you see here, sign up for my free audio devotional called 7 Days of Still Moments. It will run all summer – the day you sign up is your Day 1. It’s free and each day is less than 5 minutes. To start Day 1 today, enter your email here and I’ll do the rest. Let’s continue gently into summer with a long, deep breath.