1 Cor 13:12b. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.
As a performer, from early childhood well into my adult singing career, I was plagued by severe stage fright. After many years, and through the constant teachings of my spiritual advisor, I finally realized that I was loved! …..and one evening when I walked out on stage, looking at the large audience, what was normally a paralyzing fear became an overwhelming sense of love for the people who were there. That love of people remains with me to this day.
Reading the passage of Love in 1 Cor 13:1-13 I am once again drawn into reflecting upon the teaching that “we are often the only experience of Jesus people will have in this life”. If I truly want to be this gift of Love, then I must constantly make the journey inward toward purifying my inner life. For me the first step was to understand that I am loved, not because I am worthy, but through Grace God has come into my life to show me His love. This was a difficult step for me to understand for a long time, but I knew that I could not give away what I did not have. My inner thoughts were often self-centered and negative and I had to learn how to let those go. However, it became clear to me that no matter how I was feeling, it was possible to choose to practice the attitudes of Love until they became almost always automatic and I began to understand the freedom and joy of surrendering that false self within me and seek to bless those around me with the same unconditional love that God has for me. This has become a constant practice for me over the years, and I am often taken by surprise and sadness when an unkind thought or action rears its ugly head. I have come to learn that the journey from outward transformation to the inward surrender into holiness is without a doubt a life long journey that will not be complete until we see beyond the dimly lit mirror mentioned by Paul. So my prayer for the community and myself is that we can walk together in the spirit of Love, learning from each other and letting go of those things which keep us from staying on this path. I know that we will have many opportunities!! And don’t forget to laugh…we humans can be very funny beings!!!
— Alyce Rogers
No comments:
Post a Comment