It's not what you think, this person wasn't the type of friend that was a buddy, or someone I hung around. He was much older and wiser than I, and didn't even attend school with me. In fact, he's now been gone from this earth for 14 years!
His name is Henri Nouwen, and he was an author that my professors loved to talk about and quote. I learned to love the writings of Henri, especially The Wounded Healer.
This was the book which introduced me to this wonderful pastor, and made me feel like I had a special connection with him...thus, my "friend"! As a pastor, I loved what he stood for and how he thought. He reminded me of another friend of mine...Jesus. But I had forgotten so much in the busyness of "ministry."
Yesterday, my conscience was jerked back to what I should have remembered. I was reminded through another blog (Thank you Brad Briscoe) of the significance one person can have in the lives of many, simply by living out the mission of Jesus in their own; of taking the time away from the things that really do not matter in the larger scope of life.
Listen to these words from my "friend" Henri. Maybe he will become someone who will inspire you to be more of a refuge to others? Maybe he will focus your life to those things which are most important...or I should say, those people who are most important.
"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still it is not as simple as it seems.
My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drinking with them, to listen to their stories and tell our own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like the, but truly love them."
- Henri Nouwen
Thank you for the reminder, my friend! I had forgotten...
A Humble Servant!
I love this passage :)
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I have been struggling with the past month. I have a completely opposite schedule to that of my family and friends and I struggle with interacting with them when I never see them. Everday I have the opporunity to either do what I want by myself and potentible be selfish or Die to Self, give up what I want to do and spend time with my little six year old brother playing or sitting down and having a conversation with my Dad. Since graduatinggh School recently, the pressures of moving out, going to school, reaping all the hard work my parents put into me come to the surface and I have to think, have I given the people who love me the credit they deserve? Have I invested in them the way they invest in me? Have I been selfish by taking everything they gave me and not given anything back? As the thoughts of moving out on my own surface I get scared. Not because I will have a lot of responsiblity. But scared because I think, will my family notice I'm gone? Will they miss my presence because I was such a huge part of them? Or will they be relieved because I was a burden to them all? I have begun spending time with the people I love, to build memories with them and build our relationships so that when I do move out, calling them up on the phone or dropping by for a visit won't be a surprise it will be expected because we are close. We are a family. Thanks Greg, you constantly remind me of the things that are so important that we so often over look.
ReplyDeleteHey Greg, I love this quote! Thanks for the shout out, blessings bro on all your work for Jesus, Brad
ReplyDeleteThanks Greg and Thanks Henri for being down to earth. I wrestle with the issue regularly, where do my plans end and God's begin? It's seem like my zest to create and control my plans even with good intent may be blocking me from just loving the people around me. Yesterday my doctor asked me "where would you like to be in 15 years?" After an extended uncomfortable pause I could not come up with an answer other than "right here is fine but I do want to be a better reflector of God's love." Keep life simple, master love.
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