- Mar 11, 2019
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A Long Slow Journey
Tenderness has the power to melt the most hardened hearts steeped in pride. As we receive God’s love in our hearts, our identity as His beloved sons and daughters is restored. The tenderness of God heals. The caress of God disinfects and cleanses our wounds. The tenderness of God brings peace, serenity, and rest to the
The Love Crucified Community. The Simple Path to Union with God (pp. 279-280). Kindle Edition.
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It has been a long journey learning to trust in God. Many of our deepest wounds are formed in childhood, hidden in memory yet still shaping our lives in ways we may not see. What others notice in us can remain invisible to ourselves.
In my youth, I had no words for my inner struggles. This led to seasons of chaos, much of which I managed to conceal—though not all. One day, while reading from the First Letter of John (3:20): “If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything,” the words pierced me. I fell to my knees in tears, realizing that my lack of self-love had blocked my growth in self-knowledge. That moment began the slow process of trusting in God’s love for me.
The inner journey requires persistence. Setbacks, failures, even great sins must not keep us down. I have learned to rise again and again, for failure is often part of the path to faith. I am a slow learner, but perhaps that is why I welcome old age—it has brought me a deeper, though still limited, understanding of God’s love for me and for all. We must remember: we are made in His image and likeness; He is not made in ours.
—Br. MD
