This is Reflection 1 in the Finding God Within journey.
Meister Eckhart’s Sermon One introduces the birth of the Word in the soul, stressing that God cannot do this without our help and we must change for this birth to take place in us.
If we are to help with this birth, what are we to do?
Since I have never given birth to a human being, I call on my experience with giving birth to works of art which I consider a collaboration with divine intelligence.
When I make art, I am aware that I must hold the tension between what I have in mind and what God might want to do — sort of a yin and yang dance where I take a step and God takes a step and I set my intentions on maintaining a relaxed, loose hold.
I assume a stance with the least resistance I am capable of and I give myself over to the process which, by nature, is not on my terms.
As much as I’d prefer to have a helping of grace without the grit —
I’m beginning to accept that I cannot do anything to cause the flow of grace over my process except to stand firmly in my circumstances just as they are — and that takes grit.
No grit, no grace.
Giving birth to the Word in my soul starts with reality just as it is.
My goal is to make a good home for the Christ within my deepest being. I cannot do this without first slowing down to look closely at what lies within, and second, being willing to face what I see with compassion and courage.
What needs to change to improve the flow of God’s grace through the vessel that is me in this world?
No grit, no grace.
JULIE ANN STEVENS 