Living

"When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don’t want to find myself sighing and frightened,or full of arguments. I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world."— Mary Oliver

Nor do I want to find myself full of regrets because I lived in the house of fear rather than the house of love. I want to live and love boldly. There's every reason to be full of active, seeking - and yes, vulnerable loving. In the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, I belong body and soul, in life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ who preserves me so perfectly that without the will of my Heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head.

Often, it seems, God is calling us to be open to one another in relationship, worship, and service, in ways that are frightening. They leave us vulnerable to rejection, pain, and misunderstanding. We're called to lay our cards on the table and offer ourselves to others with no strings attached and no hidden agendas. Only when we shake off our fears and open ourselves to love can we do more than simply visit this planet.

The ultimate irony is that only by becoming empty, can we experience the fullness of abundant life.