Good afternoon, friends. This is Pastor Don.I think I’ve mentioned Julian Norwich to you before. She was an “anchoress” for the church of St. Julian in Norwich, England. She was probably born around 1342. For more than 20 years, she lived in a small cell attached to the church. There she spent her time in prayer and contemplation. Can you imagine what a spiritual benefit such a person would be to the church and its work?
When she was 30, she nearly died and while she lay in her bed, she received revelations from God which she wrote down in a book entitled: “Revelations of Divine Love.” It was the first book in the English language written by a woman.
Out of the depths of that time in her life, she was able to say with assurance: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” In other words, God gathers all of the ups and downs, smooth and hard places, joys and sorrows into God’s arms and transforms it into good for us. It takes a long time to come to trust both the truth and
reality of that statement.
Speaking of that insight, Joan Chittister says: “I must come to realize that all of life is part of the beauty of life. Otherwise, in the desire to be somewhere else, I may miss where I am – and what I am as well.” And then she adds: “Getting back in touch with nature may be the only real cure for the agitated soul”
Now there is something to ponder for today.
Let’s Pray: O God, our minds are so easily agitated and frazzled. Help us to wait for your gracious work of restoring calm and transforming it all int good for us. Amen.
