Calling the Shots!

Graduated from The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius last night in Fort Smith. For some reason, that doesn't even sound right, mainly cuz I don't know if it's possible. A better way to say it is the formal class is now over. It's one of those times when your happy and sad all at the same time. I now have to be responsible for myself! Oh bother!


I have to say I am changed! I believe Peg and Marilyn would call it, living into my authentic self! It's a different place than any I have been through yet and I gotta tell ya, I like it! 


We were asked last night, what was the one gift we received from our 4th week, which was the end of our time. For me, it was a combination of gift's rolled into a big one. If I had to break it down, I'd say that the love I now know is so much bigger and freer! One gal said it was now in color, I like that! I want to live into this bigness and this freedom, and see what God has in mind.


I also think I'm getting that it's so much more than Jesus loves you, and God is love! I mean, they are great places to start and if that's where you are, awesome! But if your still there in a month or two, your plan might have gone off it's tracks and you might be listening to too much "all you need is love"! 


What it is about is God, not you! Dr. Fred had a great way of putting it today in his blog... 


It's about God—about God's claim to be God, about the challenge that our lives pose to God's claim to be God, and about how God ends up vindicating God's claim in the resurrection. We get to go along for the ride, but it isn't all about us. And because it isn't all about us we can't opt out or work on our own best guess about what we need. God is calling the shots.


God really is calling the shots! Our role is to be more Christ-like in our daily doings, so that we might start to see the shots that God is calling. We can run off and pout and do our own thing, shaking our fist up at God and saying, Oh and by the way, I'm not going to play anymore! But, do you really think that's going to stop God? He will still come after you and as I love to say now a day's... He will Woo you to Him! Don't get me wrong, God is love, but He's also Holy and Truth! His love is going to take you as you are, but He's not going to leave you like He found you! Have you lost your mind? Well, maybe you have! Let me be the first to let you in on this secrete plan of His, He wants to change you and grow you!


We would love to be able to say and really believe that our religious practices are private and up to us, that they have nothing to do with you and if it feels good to me, I'm going to do it. I'm here to tell you that's not how it works! It takes a community! Wort's and all, to grow us into who God wants us to be. It's messy and painful sometimes, but when we do it together, we really do see that it's so much more than Jesus loves you!