Step Ten

Gospel John 14:1-6 
Jesus said to his disciples:


‘Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God still, and trust in me.
There are many rooms in my Father’s house;
if there were not, I should have told you.
I am going now to prepare a place for you,
and after I have gone and prepared you a place,
I shall return to take you with me;
so that where I am
you may be too.
You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus said.

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.’

 Step Ten; Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.


The repeated message of comfort and assurance that Jesus is giving this week in the Gospel readings fits in very well with the ethos of the Twelve Steps. Even Thomas' requests for re-assurance show that no path is ever going to be without challenge or faltering along the way.

Thomas' anxiety shows how much he needs his Lord - he is not prepared,  he is not able,  to make this journey alone.

There is a great sense of achievement in reaching this moment; like the first few weeks of a diet or exercise regime; it's energising to make changes; to see improvements; to make amends; to look back and know that life is better. The Steps are not meant to be a 'once and for all' cure for what has ailed us. We are more complicated than that.

A roller coaster of a life, with alienation, anxieties, anger and accusations, provides it's own theatrical 'thrill'. Like 'adrenelin junkies' - what's happening may be bad for you but at least it's 'happening'. Ask any middle of the road, well behaved student - it's much easier to be caught being 'bad' than being 'good'.

Learning to live with the quiet satisfaction of being 'good' is a skill we need to nurture. Every day we need to remind ourselves of our vulnerablility before God and before others; to let God Love us so that we can be guided towards the place that has been prepared for us.

We have to keep our hearts and minds open. Having come to a point where we know who we are; when we have made our amends; we can truly take each day as it comes using the guidance we have already received to inform how we live our lives rather than rebuilding barriers of grievances and regrets.

There may be days when the only answer is to return to Step One -

but Step One will be the answer -

and there may be guilt but there should be no shame in that journey either.
'Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, and trust in me.'


wordinthehand 2011







Comments

Anonymous said…
Great comfort in those words, 'Do not let your hearts be troubled'. I find it difficult to live with 'Im good enough,' it's a grace I pray for.
Andie
Mairie said…
It's not who says it Andie - it's the Lord - and more than good enough - blessings
Mari Nuñez said…
Powerful verse:‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.’

Wonderful post Mairie :)

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