Thursday, March 30, 2006

overheard

over the past few weeks, i've been coming back to this entry from uncle henri's the inner voice of love time and again. so i thought you might find it intriguing as well.

keep trusting God's call

"as you come to realize that God is beckoning you to a greater hiddenness, do not be afraid of that invitation. over the years you have allowed the voices that call you to action and great visibility to dominate your inner life. you still think, even against your own best intuitions, that you need to do things and be seen in order to follow your vocation. but you are now discovering that God's voice is saying, "stay home, and trust that your life will be fruitful even when hidden."

it is not going to be easy to listen to God's call. your insecurity, your self-doubt, and your great need for affirmation make you lose trust in your inner voice and run away from yourself. but you know that God speaks to you through your inner voice and that you will find joy and peace only if you follow it. yes, your spirit is willing to follow, but your flesh is weak.

you have friends who know that your inner voice speaks the truth and can affirm what it says. they offer you the safe space where you can let that voice become clearer and louder. there will be people who will tell you that you are wasting your time and talents, that you are fleeing from true responsibility, that you fail to use the influence you have. but don't let yourself be misled. they do not speak in God's name. trust the few who know your inner journey and want you to be faithful to it. they will help you stay faithful to God's call."

i hear you uncle henri. by God's grace, i'll continue upon this road of descent.

3 comments:

Agent B said...

I admit...I have never read anything by Henri Nouwen (sp?). What book would you recommend as a starting place?

And is it pronounced Henry?

g13 said...

as for the name: the dutch pronunciation sounds like "on-ree." however, in both the states and canada he was known simply as henri.

as for the books, here's the order i would recommend:

1. reaching out
2. the gennessee diary
3. in the name of Jesus
4. the return of the prodigal son

this order is also chronological. thus, it will help you trace the development of his life and thought.

Agent B said...

Thanks. I have heard of this "Henri" for 10 years now.

And that quote you posted is so true for me and my last 3+ years of life.

I've gotta read more...