Roaring Lion or Angel of Light

The Hermitage

April 4, 2014

I usually do my morning meditations while drinking a super-tea drink for breakfast. It’s a health thing. Tea, protein powder, ‘Restore’ supplement, MCT oil, dark chocolate powder, stevia and butter...supposed to be good for the brain, and goodness knows, I need all the help I can get. But I digress.

While drinking my tea I sit at my dining room table or on the veranda where I can watch the finches and cardinals out back, or in my recliner where I can listen to music on Sonos and watch the hummingbirds out front.

I typically start my meditations the same way every day...when I remember all the elements. (Does that tea really work?)

Psalm 143:8

Listening to the daily meditation from “Our Daily Bread”

Reading a book which holds the promise of sparking a meditation

Spending some time in silence and praying over my prayer list for the day

Writing a handwritten letter to a friend to let them know they’re in my prayers that day (Started this discipline New Year’s Day. Emails seem so impersonal)

Writing about the meditation (if any) that’s emerged for the day

Forgot the psalm today, but doubled back to pick it up as I started to write this.

The reflection today was stirred by the meditation from “Our Daily Bread” on 1 Peter 5:8; the “roaring lion passage.”

So I ruminated on the temptations I face. I think about the “major sins.” The “biggies.” The “ “Seven Deadlies.”

Yep, they’re all still there. But quite frankly when I think about them? At my age it’s sorta like the old dog chasing the car...he wouldn’t know what to do with it if he caught it!

No, I realize at this stage in my spiritual journey (although I’m always aware I might slip,) my problem is not “the roaring lion” seeking to devour me. My biggest spiritual problems now are really more from 2 Corinthians 11:14.

Now I wouldn’t begin to compare myself with Paul (or would I?) This passage about the “angel of light’ is imbedded in Paul’s greatest ego trip, where he recounts all his exploits and dangers to justify himself as an authentic apostle.

And, as they say, therein lies the rub.

Ego

Pure and simple. Ego.

I guess you have to have a pretty well developed ego to stand up in front of a congregation for nearly 30 years and think you have something worth saying. The problem comes when you start believing your own PR.

I started this blog on the pretext of sharing my meditations. My meditations. Instead...bam! Up jumps Romans 7: 14, 21-25.

As with Paul, what do I find? Just what I’m doing right now...Writing this with you in mind instead of just committing my meditations to paper.

Writing to you to share what I’m been thinking? Gotta count that as okay.

Writing to impress you with my spiritual wisdom? Well….

There.

I’ve confessed it.

Just one more lifelong thing to try to bring under God’s dominion. An over inflated ego.

Well, we’ll see how future meditations go. But no promises except I’ll do my best. If I’m out in left field some days, please forgive me, (and how often have you heard this excuse.)

I’m only human.

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Till then…..

Thanks for Journeying with me

Epilogue

Wow! That just hit me like ton of bricks. Even my ending shows I’m writing for you. Wow. Hmmmm.

Suddenly I throw myself into a quandary. Write for myself? For you? For both?

...or scrub the whole thing and forget I even thought of it.

Prayed about the last for a while and decided the latter is from the Lion and not from the Lord.

Well, after some time mulling this over praying about you, me and my meditations I came to a conclusion.

The reality is...it will always be about me, but the presentations will probably be a mixture of both styles. Just like it was when I used to do sermons and teachings. And, just like then, some will be good and others...well...not so good. But, now, as then, they will always be from the heart.

Truthfully? I don’t think I would be writing yonderin’ or my Sacred Space if I didn’t hope, prayerfully, that something I share will encourage you on your own Sacred Journey.

Blessings and Peace!