July 31, 2009

• Henri Nouwen

  “Don’t be surprised by pain. be surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like little springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain.”

  “Seeing all this (pain), we realize that there is no peace in our world. and still…that is what our hearts desire most. you and i may have tried giving money, demonstraighting, overseas projects, and many other things–but as we grow older we are faced with the fact that the peace we waited for has not come. something in us is in danger of growing cold, bitter, and resentful, and we are tempted to withdraw from it all and limit ourselves to the easier task of personal survival. but that is a demonic temptation.”

  “A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, believing that this moment is THE moment.”
  –Finding My Way Home

  “Human suffering is so often an experssion of our extreme need to feel genuinely loved, and when we know nothing about the first love (love for God), we turn to others who cannot offer us the love we need. it is then that the cry moves us toward violence. “I can’t do without you, you must stay with me” suddenly instead of caressing we grab and that frightens the other person away. it is daunting to see how the grabbing, the slapping, the biting, the violence, and sometimes the rape are really the other side of our desperate need to love and be loved.”

  “We do not have to be saviors of the world. we are simply human beings, enfolded in weakness and in home, called together to change our world one heart at a time.” –Jean Vanier

  • 6:21 am
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