Listening and Seeing

"This compulsion to look back, to explain to myself, to others, why I did what I did—or, worse, to justify why I didn’t do something else—is one of the most direct roads to depression we have. Our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes, according to Dr. Andrew Weil in his book Healthy Aging, are 'key determinants of how we age.' They can threaten the quality of time we bring to the present."

Joan D. Chittister, The Gift of Years: Growing Older Gracefully

I don't think of myself as old, and yet I was drawn to this book. Maybe it was the inviting green cover, or that it was free on Audible. Or that God knew it would be helpful and put it before me. 

We don't have to be old to get stuck in the second guessing that Joan describes above. It can easily become an abysmal rabbit hole.

In the book "Spiritual Direction," Henri Nouwen says that a "key question in overcoming spiritual deafness or blindness is: Where is God active in my life or community right now?"  I think this question is particularly challenging because of our preconceived ideas about what God's actions "should" look like. This makes it harder to do what Nouwen challenges us to do: "...to recognize that it is God who is acting, and we are involved already in the spiritual life."

I suppose this goes right along with being more present to whatever is happening and whoever is with us in the present moment. What is God doing right now?

And somewhat ironically my husband is trying to get my attention, and so I am going to listen.

Thanks, God.