Sometimes when I write, or when I have time to delve into a theologian’s life work and allow it explain myself (and my God) to me, I find myself, even in my office at the the end of a  beautiful day shining through my window, (yes, I know – Day of the Lord), ‘surprised by joy’. What is it about the power of words?

And at times this happens for me when I read someone explaining faith beautifully: for example, how the cross of Jesus means that nothing in history has set limits to God’s nearness to human beings; at others it’s when my brain reaches for words to describe what I feel, or live and finds them – and suddenly I ‘get God’ or even ‘get me’ more :). No small feat.

And mostly I am grateful for that sense of being where I am meant to be, and feeling embraced in that space: surrounded, loved, known, sustained, accompanied, invited, carried, held. God surprises me and it’s free. Grace.

I will admit to feeling stretched at times, and I have a brain that tends to question things… or rather queeeeeeestion things. Constantly. Which can be tiring… although never boring – I’ll admit :).  (Could it be nice to feel bored? It’s been years!) But every now and again, in a deeper way, I find myself found by God, in where I am and what I’m at. And it feels like his way of saying “I appreciate it… this is what I ask of you, my love, right now.”

And so I breathe and take stock…and get back to writing. I think it may have something to do with that part of the first commandment, which has always fascinated me: love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind, in these terms: