”One who is content in what he has, and who
accepts that [one] inevitably misses very much in life, is far better
off than one who has much more but who worries about all s/he may be
missing. For we cannot make the best of what we are if our hearts are
always divided between what we are and what we are not.”
-Thomas Merton
If I commit to one thing, does that close the door on other
possibilities and opportunities? A life divided is a life not lived out
to the fullest. God wants us to flourish. God loves us unconditionally
and has plans for us, plans to use our talents to our fullest potential.
Our hesitation can prevent that, it can keep us from fully experiencing
the love and joy of God — to be surrounded and even overwhelmed by that
unconditional love. It scares us because it is beyond the realm of
human experience. Can we even conceive of God incarnate embracing us,
kneeling down to tenderly wash our feet, taking away all our fears,
insecurities and sins, leaving us with a feeling of pure, unadultered
love? I can’t. Not easily. The simple thought of it threatens to bring
me to tears.
God does not ask us to do the impossible. God only asks us to give
ourselves wholly to the possibility of what She might have in store for
us. It is like a dance. To stand at the edge, listening to the music,
feeling that tug, moving slightly to the music, but not quite
participating. When God stops in front of us and holds out a hand in
invitation, it is up to us to take it, to join in and get swept up in
the whirlwind of the dance. We cannot worry about what others will
think, of whether we’ll know the steps or not — there is no need to
worry. God will lead us in the dance and we only need to follow, to let
ourselves be spun around and grasped firmly in a loving, secure embrace
before we spin out of control. Dancing is about trust, about letting go,
trusting that your partner won’t drop you when they dip you, lift you,
or flip you. Trusting that you won’t slip and fall —but if you do, God
will be there to pick you up because the dance goes on. |
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