Well this week's thoughts are really geared more toward what I read at the end of week two than what I'm reading here in week three, but I wanted to write about it instead; really, I just want to share others' wisdom with y'all again ... oops. But I, personally, never really have any profound thoughts, you know ... one's worth sharing ... things you wouldn't already know ... on the things I read ... BUT, I know of others who do! And so I just like to share with y'all what the Lord shared with them and they shared with me! Sharing is awesome!
So there is this AMAZING book that Kristina Boothe sent me at the beginning of last year (and I read a lot, so for me to say that it is AMAZING ... well, that means it's in my top three or five) when I was going through some really hard, hard times. It is called 100 Days in the Secret Place. It's a compilation (compiled by Gene Edwards) of medieval mystics' writings while they were in hard places or dark days. It's brilliant. I was reminded of it when reading the chapter in Abide in Christ called "The Crucified One." This is another one of those things that I really really understand that I just don't understand if you catch my drift. Another one of those concepts that I know should be a huge deal!
I really do believe that the cross is the place of greatest intimacy ... yet I don't crave it ... I don't even like it ... I have trouble even being thankful for it or finding the good in it. But I believe that that place holds unspeakable intimacy, a type of intimacy that can be experienced nowhere else, a type of intimacy that should I taste it, I would crave that marriage bed of the cross! Not there yet ... ANYWAY
Here are some things I don't get: My old man is LITERALLY dead. I think we treat our salvation as more of a birthday than a literal birth ... and I think we often kindof forget about the death thing that happened along in there. I think I view salvation as a part of my old man's evolution into a better man. ... But that's not it at all ... I mean, WRONG! Literal death; literal birth. I wish I could understand that. Anyway, I don't get this. I also don't get the "fellowship of death." That's pretty deep stuff. I have felt so dead for so many years of my life, and I never sought the fellowship in it. Little did I know, I was given a privleged place: to fellowship with the LIVING GOD in my sufferings. I wished them away. My selfishness made the cross to heavy; I ran from the place of greatest intimacy. I had years - and I mean YEARS - to experience it; I think I missed out ...
Now, for other's words of wisdom on the way of the cross:
"Often, when you suffer, it is the life of your self-nature that causes you pain. When you are dead you do not suffer. If you were completely dead to your old nature you would no longer feel many of the pains that now bother you. ... So while you have the opportunity to experience difficult trials, do not lose the slightest opportunity to embrace the cross. ... Do not waste your suffering. Let suffering accomplish what God wants it to in your life. Never get so hard that you suffer for no reason and for no purpose. " Francois de Fenelon
1 comments:
That's an incredible quote. As you say, it is 'privileged place' but one that's rarely accessed. Especially since we place such a high value on comfort and personal fulfillment/happiness. Although I will say that while Christ has solidarity with us in suffering, it is a paradox that he also has an ultimate plan for pain and suffering to be non-existent, not part of the pattern of life. And that it was the plan in the beginning.
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