Dear Friends of Longview Chapel,
One of the authors that I find spiritual wisdom in is Steven Charleston. As I was thinking of our theme last Sunday of washing sin away and being clean, I read this little gem he wrote:
“The elders say that the path of the Spirit always leads upward which is why many people give up trying to follow it. The steady climb becomes tiresome, especially if you are carrying a lot of baggage. Anger, suspicion, envy, greed: they all weigh us down. Over time they make going up to the high country harder and harder. The only choice we have is to turn around and walk downward, stop and stay where we are, or keep making the slow climb to the distant sunlight on the mountain tops. To do that, we have to lighten our own load, letting go of what is heavy on our soul. Then the climb becomes easier and our step becomes lighter. By the time we clear the tree line, we are almost flying.”
His words made me think of a verse from Isaiah 40:31: “…those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
How is God seeking to help us lighten our loads so that we can fly and help others to fly, too?
Building Community With You,
Pastor Donna