Gentleness and Normalcy

Welcome to Word for the Week, the series in which I:

share my experience of hearing God’s Word in Mass last weekend,
explore what I believe the Lord is calling me to do about that Word, and
ask how this Word might impact your life, as well.

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This feels like a different type of Word for the Week entry! Mainly because the past few weeks of Sunday Mass have felt so normal. Which, in turn, feels unusual for me. I feel like both being on tour (which I was three weeks ago) and being at home feel comfortable and "typical" now. It's really comforting.

Three Sundays back, my Word for the Week was, “very small matters.” The context was the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16: “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones”

I felt the Lord asking me to stay true to my personal boundaries, and to be content in this season of sabbatical without rushing to pick up other projects. Even though I was on a previously-scheduled tour, I ended up saying no to a number of new invitations. Already, I’ve seen how those invitations are being presented again in healthier ways, and I’ll be able to say “yes” from a stronger position!

Then, two Sundays ago, the word that stood out (at our normal Mass time, at our normal parish in AZ) was “pursue... gentleness,” from 1 Tim. 6:11. In prayer over the course of last week, I felt the Lord inviting me to be gentle with myself.

I’ve been a runner since I was 16! I’ve gone running regularly, and kept up a very fast pace in so many aspects of life.

These days, I run maybe once a week. Even the weekly run is interspersed with walking. It reminds me of St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, when he writes about running so as to win the race. The next line, verse 25, says: “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.”

I’m realizing lately that recovery is crucial in an athlete’s life. Whether from the normalcy of training or in the aftermath of an injury, recovery makes continued exercise possible. Is there anywhere in your life where you sense a desire for more rest?

Maybe that desire is the Lord inviting us to be gentle with ourselves, even if it’s in the “very small matters.”

In closing, the word I’m carrying with me from Mass on Sunday is, “the vision still has its time.” The reading from Habakkuk reassured me that in the midst of all this gentleness and even as I’m pacing myself, God is still unfolding His promise in my life. I’m not going to miss out on what He has for me by resting a bit more. Quite the opposite!

Amen. :)

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