I found this nice little website (http://www.discerninghearts.com) with quotes from St. Teresa of Avila and I’d like to share the following:
“To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.”
The thing I love about saints is their ability to condense very concisely a truth about our human nature or the art of living within the trials and temptations each of us face. This little quote simply states a profound truth, in that most of us at some time in our life must go through an experience that is off the path God has called us to and that all is not lost when this happens. The truth is, when we come back from these experiences, often our faith in God is more intense or true, and it is from this place of humility that God can finally make us a worthy instrument.
When we are full of pride or are self-absorbed, we can be pretty hard to be broken into. When we have been broken, and return to God, it is then that we are open and ready in his service.
So the next time you find yourself in the middle of something that is not so good, maybe a temptation that you have not resisted, take heart because it is through this experience that you may discover a more profound love of God and a joyful heart in serving him.
Janet
I read thru several of your meditations last night, and I particularly like this one. It struck a chord with me because I've recently been struggling as a praise team leader at my church. For the first year, our praise team worked really well together, respected each other, and we always prayed that God would bless our ministry of music and open people's hearts to Him. Then problems started appearing in the group (lateness, irresponsibility, thoughtlessness, differences of opinion---oh my!) It's good to have problems---if they draw us closer to God. But sometimes when we start feeling sorry for ourselves and focusing on ourself, (why is this praise team so hard to lead??) it draws us away from Him. It's too easy to start leaking out resentments, instead of turning it over to God in prayer. Anyway---thanks for the time you take to reflect and to write. God is good!
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