I found this beautiful reflection in Henri Nouwen’s Bread for the Journey and thought it applied very well to our up-coming year…It’s called “Enough Light for the Next Step:”
Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, “How will next year be for me? Where will I be five or ten years from now?” There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or the following day. The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go. Let’s rejoice in the little light we carry and not ask for the great beam that would take all shadows away.
You may have heard me say that “Worry is an insult to God.” Think about it. It’s empowering. It often seems that we just LOVE to worry, myself included. I really don’t love to worry, I just worry. However, with this little mantra, I have found that if I turn my worries over to our dear Lord, I find the strength I need just at the right time. I’m calmer. I’m more appreciative. I’m confident that no matter what, God is with me, taking good care of this matted sheep. I’m so grateful and look forward to the next step together with my Shepherd. I hope you do, too!
May you have a Blessed New Year with our loving Shepherd!
-MJ Heggeness
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