"This is Breathe’s monthly e-thought, with a reflection on the Promise of Life (our commitment to break the consumer mould, see below) and the month’s best web links.
PART 1
Because life is a gift, we live it thankfully,
Savour what we have, pray for what we need.
Something I have learnt from Americans is that the British tend to moan. Whatever the circumstance, the glass is likely to be half empty. With this attitude, as I have found to my peril, it is easy to become a victim of life. Why are we moaners?
This first section of the ‘Promise of Life’ sets the foundation. Life is a gift! Stop there just for a minute – pause. Life is a gift! If you are like me, you found it hard to say that without then qualifying that statement with the trials and tribulations that come with it. ‘Yes, life is a gift, but…’
Allowing the reality that life is a gift to penetrate deep into my being liberates me - I am not a victim, the glass is full. Life is precious, fragile, full of beauty, short. Life is given to be lived as an adventure of discovery with God and others on a beautiful planet.
Interpreting life through the lens of a gift transforms my experience of it. Living it thankfully becomes a genuine possibility rather than something I ought to do. That I live life, rather than life happens to me, empowers me to pause and savour what I have without rushing for more – the fruit of thankfulness is contentment.
This is not to pretend that parts of life are not difficult and painful. Life damages us – injustice, pain and brokenness are part of life. But our experience of them can be transformed. We pray for what we need, trusting that God knows what we really need, God loves to give and God gives us our food at the proper time.
Thank you God for the gift of life.
Tim Creber
10 Experiments in Simple Parenting (read, discuss or forward to friends from our blogsite): http://breathenetwork.org/2009/06/17/ten-experiments-in-simple-parenting/
Promise of Life
Because life is a gift, we live thankfully
Savour what we have
Pray for what we need.
No longer hurried, distracted, or worried,
We’ll walk through each moment with God.
Because everything is a gift, we live with open hands,
Tread lightly on the earth
Share freely our homes and our things.
No longer restlessly chasing identity,
We’ll be known by our love not our logos.
Because giving is a gift we live generously,
Give ourselves deeply to family and community,
Give joyfully to those in need.
No longer caught in the consumer dream
We’ll invest our all in the kingdom of love.
On 25th April over 150 people made a Promise of Life, why not join us for a year and see if it leads to life…
0 comments:
Post a Comment