Jewish spirituality describes God as hovering above every blade of grass, whispering “Grow, grow, grow.” God wants you to grow. God wants everyone to grow.
Like a good parent, God does not compete with us or see our achievements as challenging God’s glory. In fact, God’s glory, creativity, and power in the universe expand when we claim our glory, creativity, and power. Our healthy adventures open the door for new divine adventures and embodiments of God’s vision for our lives and the universe.
A good friend gave me a mug for Christmas that reads: “With God all things are possible.” Now each morning as I drink my first cup of coffee, I am filled with the vision of new possibilities and open to the energy to achieve them. While there are no guarantees of success in all of our projects, a world of creative possibilities beckons us to go beyond self-imposed limitations.
One of my favorite gospel stories involves the encounter of Peter with Jesus in which after a night of unsuccessful fishing Jesus invites Peter to go deeper. At first Peter protests: after all, there are no fish to catch in all the familiar places. I can identify with Peter and perhaps you can too: you lose all the material for a manuscript when your computer crashes; you’ve lost a job you counted on taking you to retirement; you hit a dead end in terms of your current approach to a problem; a relationship ends. But, within these limitations, there are possibilities. There is something more and one small step can open the path to unexpected adventures. God still is giving us possibilities appropriate to our time and place.
What small step do you need to make to experience a more abundant life? What open door is hiding within an apparent dead end? Where do you experience the call of something more, inviting you to go deeper and further into new frontiers of body, mind, spirit, and relationships? Where does God call you to be a companion in healing the world? For those with open hearts, minds, and hands, the answers will come that will guide you to your next small step on life’s holy adventure.
Today, I invite you to live with these affirmations as you seek to discover the possibilities hidden within the apparent limitations of life.
God is providing me with possibilities within every limitation.
God is giving me all the resources I need to succeed, prosper, and share in healing the
world.
God is giving me new and creative ideas and the energy to achieve them.
God is opening a door to new possibilities in (a particular life situation).
Today, train your senses to experience the “more” hidden within the concrete limitations of your life. God is at work in every moment and situation calling all of us to be more than we can imagine. Pause, notice, listen, and respond to the call of adventure in everyday life. There is more!
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Bruce Epperly is a theologian, spiritual guide, healing companion, retreat leader and lecturer, and author of nineteen books, including Holy Adventure: 41 Days of Audacious Living; God’s Touch: Faith, Wholeness, and the Healing Miracles of Jesus; and Tending to the Holy: The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry. He may be reached at [email protected].
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