Saturday, March 12, 2011

the sun and the clouds

I thoroughly enjoyed Henri Nouwen's Here and Now.  I think that this text was particularly suited for our first reading.  Setting up the idea that God wants us "here and now" in the present will help place the focus of what our mindsets should be going into this year.  Living in the present is certainly difficult for me.  I think it might be safe to say, judging by people's responses to some of my previous blogs, and my own assessment that I might have some perfectionist tendencies.  I am constantly struggling with my past--specifically my shortcomings and failures.  And I spend almost just as much time worrying about what the future holds and attempting to plan and map it out as best I can.  What I seriously lack in my life is an emphasis on the present. 

Nouwen's words are full of so much wisdom and I love how the chapters are so thorough and address so many of the angles of each topic.  He doesn't just address suffering, he addresses all the kinds of suffering there are and our character through those situations and seasons.  I feel as though this should be a book that should be read again in my life, perhaps in a few years or when I know that significant growth has taken place.  The pages of my book are underlined and highlighted so much!  There is just so much wisdom in there!  

My favorite passage in the book is in the chapter about Joy.

"Yes, I know there is a sun, even though the skies are covered with clouds.  While my friend always spoke about the sun, I kept speaking about the clouds, until one day I realized that it was the sun that allowed me to see the clouds.  Those who keep speaking about the sun while walking under a cloudy sky are messengers of hope, the true saints of our day."

The way this is crafted is so beautiful and I love its message of hope.  It hits you with this overwhelming conviction to glorify God in all things.  Ultimately everything is from God--the good and the bad.  Where is the value of your blessings if you never experience sorrow or pain or loss?  I love the metaphor of the sun and the clouds.  The clouds maybe covering the sun sometimes, but the sun is always there.  And in that same way hope and opportunity for blessings are always there.  In every situation look for God.  I believe that God truly uses some of our greatest struggles to make us stronger and to ultimately bring us closer to Him.  Bring everything to God and find a way to glorify Him.  Always remember the sun is there.  I find that to be a comforting thought.  

11 comments:

  1. That was one of my favs too! It totally opened up a completely new perspective for me! Like duh the sun is up 24/7 but we totally never realize it. We do not think outside of our own little bubbles most of the time and realize there is more out there than just us. His chapter on joy was key for me and it gave me a great thing to try. That of reflecting back on the day you just had and seeing the moments of joy within it. I found by doing this my days became more joyful and it was easier to see joy in regular instances. Great chapter!

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  2. :) You pointed the sun out to me multiple times throughout this past week. Thank you for this and I love the quote as well. May we dance in the rain knowing the Son has provided for us in ways seen and unseen. Love you.

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  3. the sun is always there... the Son is always there. : )

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  4. yes, love that quote you chose. when i read it the first time, there were a few people i know who immediately came to mind. and that got me thinking that i'd really love to be a person like that, a person who comes to mind when one in contemplating what it looks like to be joyful.

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  5. Yes, this is healing balm to the weary soul. I have needed this before and I am sure I will need it again. Praise be to God, whose lovingkindness and faithfulness never ends.

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  6. I love this quote too! I think that there can be many things that are the clouds for us that make it hard to see the sun or make us temporarily forget about the sun. I'm just glad that the sun is always there, lighting our way. Thanks Bri :-)

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  7. Seems like the chapters on joy hit really close to home for a lot of us...a Circles theme perhaps? :) Thank you for sharing...I also share in your perfectionistic tendencies...and I know firsthand what a challenge is it to remain fully in the here and now. I do think that there is a lot more joy waiting for us in the present, so I will be praying for that for both of us!

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  8. This was awesome to read Bri! Thanks so much for sharing. I am totally with you on the whole Joy part too. And ya, like Blair said, it seems that that chapter is really hitting home for us. It was great to end your blog with how God uses our struggles. I know in my life, that even though I have had some amazingly difficult struggles, I wouldn't trade them for the world because without them, I wouldn't be who I am today, and as close with God as I am. And you're right, the SON is always there ;)

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  9. God told paul in second corinthians "My grace is sufficient for you and My power is made perfect in your weakness". i believe He speaks this to the perfectionist tendencies of our hearts too.

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  10. I loved how you said that God uses our struggles to make us stronger and bring us closer to Him. That is soo true! That is what true joy is all about. We can take joy in these struggles knowing that God is working and using the situation. :)
    P.S. I am so glad to be in Circles with you, and I'm loving getting to know you! :)

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  11. It's amazing how easy it is to see God in and through every moment of our day if we'll simply have eyes to watch for Him.

    Not only does Nouwen realize that the sun makes the clouds visible, he points that fact out to us, his reader.

    As I get better and better at recognizing the illumination of God on every aspect of my day, I've got to be careful that I don't keep those observations to myself, but share them with those around me.

    Great post.

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