October 13-19: “Acknowledge Your Powerlessness”
During the week of October 13th we will be covering the chapters from “Remain Attentive to Your Best Intuitions” through to “Acknowledge Your Powerlessness” (pages 16-31). The two chapters for our discussion will be “Enter the New Country” (page 21) and “Acknowledge Your Powerlessness” (page 30). Please share your thoughts and comments. And if you have a chapter in this section that you want to comment on, please e-mail me (jackgiven@comcast.net) your comment and I will include it as we go through this thought provoking, challenging and life-enriching way of exploring The Inner Voice of Love.
Acknowledge Your Powerlessness
Henri states, “You have to say ‘yes’ fully to your powerlessness in order to let God heal you.” What does he suggest about power and powerlessness? Where do you struggle giving up trying to control or have power in your life?
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October 16th, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
Powerlessness is the reality of my life. Or should be, because as St. Paul says it is when we are weak that we are strong because Jesus is our strength. When my life is going well, I don’t think about power a lot because I am living under the illusion of being in control, being the one with the power. But when things fall apart, it becomes all too apparent that I truly am powerless. This past year, I suffered a tremendous hurt from which I am still recovering. Like it was for Henri, it is such a temptation for me to think that I must now heal myself–to think that I have the power and the resources “to make it all better.” I’m learning (slowly!) to admit that I can’t make it better, but my Heavenly Father has both the love and the power to heal me. Because I love to garden, Henri’s metaphor of a seed is very meaningful, especially as I remember that a seed is a small & hidden bit of stuff that has life in it but it needs to come alive through patient nurturing on the part of the gardener. That seed is me right now! Peace & joy in Jesus, Lee
October 16th, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
Patty,
I pray that your husband is comfortable and that you’re getting the rest you need. Peace be with you and your family.
Phillip
October 15th, 2008 @ 9:29 am
At the risk of sounding too glib, my power lies in my powerlessness, as I believe Henri is suggesting as well. It is the power to live the truth that without God I am nothing and that with Him all things are possible. I believe my struggle lies in the challenge to “fully stand” in that glory or sometimes in that pain and transcend my fear, despair or illusion of control.It is the courage to become who I already am- a beloved child of God. There is a paradox here- to lose the ego is the way to find one’s true identity. But the gospel points that out to us- it is the individual’s challenge, CHOICE, to act upon that truth: that whether the world, that whether life, is benevolent or malelevolent, God’s power, His love is with us always and within us because he created us.I believe that is one meaning, one truth of Christ’s earthly life. He, too, struggled with powerlessness on the cross as well as in the garden, but never lost His love and trust in the Father. I try to be like that- a reed that may be bent, but never broken- through His grace and mercy.
October 13th, 2008 @ 6:59 am
Patty,
Christ is with you, your husband and your family always. Reading your reflections for years has revealed your faith in that truth as well as your love and trust in it. Take care of yourself- my prayers are with you.
October 12th, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
This is an easy chapter for me. I think I can take responsibility for everyone. Many times people sense that and are perfectly happy to let me take responsibility for things they regret or don’t want to admit are their responsibilities. I will accept all blame. It was a great relief to learn centering prayer and the Jesus prayer. “Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.” Whenever I’m in a situation where the interaction is getting like that above, I just get myself into the Jesus prayer, become very powerless, and actually a much healthier relationship with the other person usually ensues. It just seems to do something, how I don’t actually know, but I’m thankful for Jesus and what He does so I am saved and can have peace of mind.
October 12th, 2008 @ 7:09 am
My thoughts and prayers are with Patty’s husband and with Patty and all of their family. May you, Patty, find comfort knowing so many all over are loving and caring for you and your husband and family, may God strengthen you each day and keep you safe from all harm in His Everlasting Arms.
October 10th, 2008 @ 2:51 pm
Dear Nouwen community,
One of our participants, Patty, is on the schedule to lead the discussion question and comments for several of the chapters. Last evening I received an email from her, explaining that she has not yet joined the discussion due to the illness of her husband. His condition is very grave and they are awaiting test results that will determine the course of treatment, if any.
May we join together and pray for Patty, her husband and their family –
Heavenly Father, David, the psalmist and a man after Your own heart has prayed, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear, for thou art with me.” Be with Patty and her family as she walks that road, today. Amen
October 10th, 2008 @ 8:05 am
As I first read this chapter I thought of an old cliché: “let go and let God” and then I thought of the 1st step of a 12 step program: admitting that we are powerless.
I then thought, naturally, of my favorite Nouwen quote “What happened invites you to conversion”. This is the deepest meaning of history: a constant invitation calling us to turn our hearts to God and so discover the full meaning of our lives. ( Here And Now page 73) The conflict of our wanting to be in control, to have a mythical power over our own lives calls us to turn our hearts to God – take the 1st step – and discover the full meaning of life.
Nouwen’s analogy of the planted seed however, is one to bring the point home. A symptom of our control is our constantly wanting to see “how we’re doing and growing” which in itself defeats the commitment to trust God and undermines our own spiritual growth.
For me, the greatest area of conflict is allowing God to heal me – because He was with me – in every step and failure of my life. Instead of wallowing in the “if only’s, what if’s and why didn’t I’s”, to focus – turn my heart towards God – you were there with me in every horrible thing, bad action, unkind thought and word and never forsook me for being me” If Nouwen would have written fiction, he might have written something like The Shack, a current NYT best seller that focuses solely on Mack’s failure to protect his daughter and God’s never failing love. The Shack is Mack’s symbol of powerlessness and God calls him to it to show him how loved he is. It is as Mack wraps himself in his powerlessness that He sees the light and love of God.