Good morning…
I love the Scriptural image ending yesterday’s post. You’ve had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God (1 Peter 2:3, MSG). We are each nursing babes nourished intimately by God. As we daily drink deep, increasing amounts of pure kindness flow as we grow mature and whole in God.
But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely (Galatians 5:22-23, MSG).
Did you catch that? God bring gifts into our lives, like fruit appearing in an orchard. Our single job each day is to stay rooted, drink deep, abide in oneness with the God who loves us all, freely and fully. Our only focus remains where our lips meet God’s breast, where our branch meets God’s vine. We trust God to grow juicy gifts on our individual branches. How? When? What kind? Our Creator decides.
One new fruit has been picked from my abiding branch today. Do you remember my good friend, 93-year-old Betty Skinner? The authors of the book chronicling her life, The Hidden Life Awakened, also have a gorgeous website to carry on the lasting legacy of Betty, a wise, Christian mystic who lives in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Look at what appeared on their website this morning. Fruit grown from my branch now blesses Hidden Life subscribers today.
All right, Lord, I’ve been reading about what a good Christian should do and how I should live my life, but I want to say to You that it’s not working for me. You promised me joy, You promised me peace, You promised me wholeness, and I’m not experiencing any of this. My life is a total disaster. There’s got to be another way. I do not doubt Your promises, but I don’t understand how to find them.
From the depths of our common humanity, this cry of the heart emanates and resonates. Whatever our given lot or chosen path, we have a deep sense that there must be more to life than we are experiencing. And there is so much more. There is treasure hidden within our soul; it is our true self – the person God perfectly and wonderfully created in His image to love and to do His work in the world.
The Hidden Life Awakened (pg3)
Betty W. Skinner, wrote those words in 1968. Unbeknownst to Betty, a spiritual revolution was brewing within. She was forty-two years old, a mother of four, wife of a very successful businessman and community leader, suburban socialite, Sunday school teacher, civic volunteer – and crippled by debilitating depression.
In 2007, I was forty-four years old, a mother of four, wife of a beloved chaplain and community leader, Discipleship Coordinator for the Children’s Ministry at church, a daily journal-keeper, a budding writer, a weekly Bible study teacher – and I, too, was crippled by debilitating depression.
With my beloved dream life having recently eroded, I smiled on the outside, but felt deep pain within. I shuffled through the motions, a wife, a mom, a believer, but inside my heart felt lonely, intensely heavy and strangely hollow. Few words shed light in my inner darkness, until I met Betty’s voice on the first page of The Hidden Life Awakened. Captivated by her deep spiritual journey, a special friendship started blossoming between Betty and me. As I read about Betty’s suffering, unbeknownst to me, a similar revolution was brewing beneath my skin.
In a season of deep darkness, I felt known, accepted, and supported in the midst of my silent suffering. Though I am an undiagnosed dyslexic, just like Betty Skinner, I devoured this holy book, hour after hour, page after page, as new life and my true self quietly awakened into the endless Love of God.
This beautiful poem she wrote in her later years is a gift of sweet hope to us all.
Beloved
It’s different now from then
When fear and darkness reigned
And I was framed in pain
My soul starved
All spokes turned inward
The hub was gone.
Beloved
You looked with love upon me
A gaze which blazed its way into my heart
Imparted grace
A thread of hope illuminated my darkness
Such mercy slowly set me free.
BWS
Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. (Col. 3:3, MSG)
May this profound Mystery awaken each one of us…. Sue
Sue Allen is a daily blogger (SueToYou.com), a trained spiritual director, a team member for our Awake To Wholeness Women’s Retreats, and a board member of BWS Ministries, a non-profit charity formed to carry on Betty Walthour Skinner’s lasting legacy.
Have you also felt known, accepted, and supported by Betty’s wisdom in the midst of your own season of silent suffering? If you feel drawn to share your own story of spiritual revolution, please feel free to correspond with Sue personally and privately at sue@suetoyou.com.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing (John 15:5, AMP). Through the fruitful life of Betty Skinner, God is teaching me the art of abiding. As I daily drink deep before fresh words appear on my branch, we are all invited to grow up mature and whole in God.
…Sue…
