Matthew under the arm 56
Columba was tired today and went to lie on his bunk to catch up on his sleep. Well, he's not a young man. So I went into the inn to have a drink with some pilgrims whom I have come to know quite well in all these months. One of them asked me about Columba. he had heard of him and wondered what made him so special. Several times he had asked Columba for advice as to how to handle difficult situations back at home and at his work. Columba had not given the answer he wanted. The basic advice seemed to have been: 'Wait!' Soon the other pilgrims joined in the general destructive criticisms of Columba. I started to collude with them! (That aweful inclination to 'dump' my own inadequacies on someone in high esteem, particularly if that person is not present, in order to undermine, in the vain attempt to make myself feel better.) What we didn't notice was that Columba had got up from his bunk and was sitting a table by himself but within earshot. I quickly went across to him and spoke of those 'moaning' pilgrims. He smiled at me, seeing right into my soul. He knew I had colluded. So, crest-fallen I asked how to avoid getting caught in the negative slip-stream of others destructiveness - and my own. His answer? ''Wait - and you will sow the seed of love deep in the heart..."
Matthew 13:1-17….
A parable has just one point to make. An analytical approach to a parable such as this gets in the way of listening with the heart. What is more, in the case of the ‘Sower’, there is the uncomfortable sense that there is not very much we can do. The seed will be sown in you. So wait on its growth. Nature can’t be forced anyway. The power is in the waiting. The poor quality of the sowing of the other seed purely demonstrates how little we are actually in control. Waiting is the attitude of expectancy and service. The best way to serve someone is to wait on that person.
Be still and wait on my planting and growth within you
Here is an opportunity to allow all images to ‘fall away’ from your mind. The seed is somehow in the mystery of God sown deep in you. The planting is the work of Christ deep within you. Let Him get on with His work. Be as still as you can and trust the growing. Use the sentence rhythmically and in time with your breathing. This helps to ease your mind of wanting to control and to create images that simply get in the way. Listening is only listening if you don’t put your own construction on what you hear!
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Matthew 13:1-17….
A parable has just one point to make. An analytical approach to a parable such as this gets in the way of listening with the heart. What is more, in the case of the ‘Sower’, there is the uncomfortable sense that there is not very much we can do. The seed will be sown in you. So wait on its growth. Nature can’t be forced anyway. The power is in the waiting. The poor quality of the sowing of the other seed purely demonstrates how little we are actually in control. Waiting is the attitude of expectancy and service. The best way to serve someone is to wait on that person.
Be still and wait on my planting and growth within you
Here is an opportunity to allow all images to ‘fall away’ from your mind. The seed is somehow in the mystery of God sown deep in you. The planting is the work of Christ deep within you. Let Him get on with His work. Be as still as you can and trust the growing. Use the sentence rhythmically and in time with your breathing. This helps to ease your mind of wanting to control and to create images that simply get in the way. Listening is only listening if you don’t put your own construction on what you hear!
+Martin
Argyll and The Isles
Labels: Waiting on God
posted by Martin at 7:20 am
1 Comments:
Thank you Martin.
Your comment brought to mind the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God", because it is only on the stillness that we truly feel his presence even though we know that he is present in everything we do. A timely reminder. once again, thank you.
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