“The spiritual discipline of SACRED is discipling the internal waves of worry and making a way to lean back and trust the wraparound presence of God holding me safe. . . . a SACRED way of life holds back a storm of worries, a tsunami of fears, by setting the soul apart . . . to let the Spirit soothe the heart with gospel truth.”- Ann Voskamp
“[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid?’ “- Mark 4:40 (NIV)
“Fear startles at things . . . which endangers things beloved.”- Augustine
Ann Voskamp concludes Chapter 10 of WayMaker as she stresses that biblical hope rests not on good odds, but on trusting the ways of a good God. Because God withholds no way from us that can make a way – into the way we’ve always dreamed.
In addition, Ann sees hope as the sacrament of waiting when waves stretch out as far as you can see. Above all, hope takes wing over these waves, trusting that land exists beyond those seemingly endless waves.
Furthermore, Ann underscores, end the day with a soul exam. The author counsels:
” . . . if you end your day without a soul examination, you can end up soul sick, which is to say: If you get into bed at night without cutting your fears down to size, you get into bed with the devil.”
Therefore, the question Jesus asked His disciples – Why are you so afraid? – matters a great deal. For when you allow fears to surge in the mind, they turn the needles of your heart. Hence, you must speak those fears out loud. Otherwise they remain slippery and morph large in the dark.
In conclusion, Ann offers these words of hope for those who hurt:
“What people label, God loves, and who gets written off, God writes their names on the palms of His hands, and when we fall way too far short of being enough, God makes the way to move into us and be our home.”
Today’s question: How might you apply the spiritual discipline of SACRED* to your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Exoduses – all the Red Sea Roads”
*SACRED = Stillness, Attentiveness, Cruciformity, Revelation, Examine, Doxology
