I am so thankful for the matriarchs and patriarchs of our faith and the ways they reveal varying parts of our Lord as they've encountered Him along their sojourn. Reading their stories, their journals, books, etc. spurs me deeper into the heart of God, challenges my heart to break more for things it typically may not, and encourages me when I find myself on a tumultuous part of the path.
I found comfort knowing I was walking a road where others had gone before me when I realized I was in "the dark night of the soul." (Richard Foster) God had me walk there for 18 months!
St. John of the Cross reminds me things of great value are often found from a path we wouldn't think to find them on. "To come to the pleasure you have not you must go by a way in which you enjoy not." Dying to self - our desires, our flesh, our selfishness, our sin-rooted spirits of entitlement - is not a way we enjoy, but it does bring us to greater pleasures we could ever know... freedom, peace, and life found only in Christ, and deeper into the heart, beauty, and strength of the Trinity.
When I think of prayer, I think of Andrew Murray, Watchman Nee, Brother Lawrence. Trust- Brennan Manning, Mother Theresa. Character / Identity / Abiding in Christ - Elisabeth Elliott, Andrew Murray, Brennan Manning, Madame Jeanne Guyon. The list continues with Thomas A. Kempis, Henri Nouwen, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the founding fathers of our country, and the men and women in times of old we get to read about in scripture.
While on our ORCA trip, Priscilla and I did a good amount of hiking. Actually we did some pretty significant hiking three days in a row - the third being Castle Dome at Castel Crags. The day prior to hiking Castle Dome we did a "quick" hike to Whiskeytown Falls. Ok, first of all, Whiskeytown Falls is NOT a quick hike... the way there is primarily uphill!
By day three we were pretty spent and it certainly hit us - as we're on the ascent on Castle Dome. It was amazing that we even made it to the top, really, and we have both since said that it had much to do with the spurring from the other. When I questioned if I was able to proceed any further, Priscilla encouraged and pushed me to keep going. When she wanted to quit and questioned being able to go further, I offered her the same. We set goals for one another, we believed in the other, and together, we accomplished the goal.
I don't really know what all was bubbling from my heart and mind back in October of 2009 that was intended to pour onto this screen. I'm sure part of it was my heart of thankfulness for such a wonderful friend; thank you, Priscilla. And I wouldn't doubt if I was going to connect it to the passage in Hebrews 10:23-25
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
There is such power in spurring, and we are continually spurring on people all throughout our days - you could be spurring one toward love and good deeds; you could be spurring one toward sadness and despair. How will you use your words today? In what ways and direction(s) will you choose to spur another?
*Priscilla and I embarked on our third annual Urban Dare adventure ten days ago. Our spurring one another was implemented again as we still had a few miles to complete the race. Reminiscing on our hike up Castle Dome was certainly a part of our conversing.
This was pre-race. And yes, this is a staged nervous face. (It's the only picture I have in my possession at this time!)
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