Over a week ago I had the pleasure of leading people through the spiritual practice of Visio Divina – Holy Seeing. This particular practice has been a favorite of mine. In a world where life often seems to be careening out of control, its intentional slowness and deliberate attention helps to put on the brakes to the proverbial crazy train.

My particular way of moving through this practice might be slightly different than others who practice Visio Divina.  I like to ask the Holy Spirit to direct my gaze toward something I may not see on my own or maybe even something I intentionally avoid while I am out in the world. He is always gracious to do so and when He does, I will take a photo on my phone. Then in a quiet moment later, I will sit with the photo and ask the Holy Spirit to help me see what God sees and to hear God speak to me through what I see.

He never disappoints.

Today I sat with a photo I recently took on an early morning at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

As I made my way through the movements…locking my gaze on the first thing that captures my attention – the lone bird standing on the beach and then allowing my gaze to widen taking in the whole image – the bubbles in the sand, the waves almost ready to crash, the silhouette of the bird flying in the distance, I prayerfully considered what it is that God desired me to see, to hold from this image.

And quietly I sense this phrase, “the reflection is seen in the stillness.”

I begin to see in the midst of all the many movements – bubbles erupting, waves crashing, ripples moving outward and birds flying – what stood quietly alone, in stillness was best reflected.

I am holding this truth close today. This month has been a busy one full of beautiful and good things. Yet, even so, in all of its movements of good the best can be lost and overlooked. This world would like us to believe that movers and shakers get all the things done. They are the pillars of success. They get to grab the brass ring and hold the trophies. And, that may be true in this world but friend, hear me, this world will end and all the brass rings, trophies and successes mean absolutely nothing in the light of eternity.

St. Benedict of Nursia has been noted as saying, “Listen and attend with the ear of your heart.” This is hard to do when the world is spinning and we are trying to win all the things. Noise begets more noise. Movement begets more movement. But to listen and attend well requires a stillness and an aloneness that beckons us into the holy presence of the Lord. It is the place where His reflection can be seen and even more importantly, experienced. It is here that His loving gaze becomes our reflection to the world.

May you find time to enter into stillness and seek His reflection.

Eternity longs for you to do so. Your eternity depends on it.

The days were drawing to the end and Jesus knew it.  No matter how he tried to prepare those he loved most, they just didn’t grasp it.  But their inability to understand didn’t stop His persistence in preparing them.

Now, it is dinner time and as they recline at the table, Jesus is aware their feet have not been washed.  No one else notices or if they did, they said nothing.  They did nothing.

How many times have we have not seen or worse yet, seen and did nothing?

Sandals and walking make for dirty feet.  A servant in the household would normally wash the grime off the guests.  But this night there was no servant to wash – so everyone stayed dirty.

We are not much different.  We see the need but it’s not ours to own so we all stay dirty.

But Jesus…

He stepped away from the meal, took off his garments and fastened a servant’s towel around his waist and prepared the basin of water.  Then one by one He began to wash the feet of his disciples.

Did anyone notice when He stood up from the table?  Or when he prepared the basin?  Were they so intent on eating the meal and talking with each other they missed what was happening until he started to wash their feet?  Even then, no one said anything.

I wondered how many grimy feet He washed before He got to Simon Peter’s.  As the water sloshed dirty in the bowl and the servant’s towel hung wet, limp and stained from His waist, could they even begin to understand what was happening?  Their silence is deafening.

Then Simon Peter…

Leave it to this impetuous one to open his mouth and insert his foot.  He is the only one who speaks up and challenges Jesus.  Peter first wants him to stop and then he wants a head to toe bath.

You see, Peter recognized what was happening was out of the norm but his rashness couldn’t wait for Christ to finish.  He was too self-aware to see the deeper things.  It is not ignorance but rather impulsiveness from where his words are born.

He wants but he can’t wait.

Oh Lord, we know that well.

We want to know.  So much so, we often to jump to conclusions before we even understand the story.  We see the moment and filter it through lenses of past experiences.

Rose colored they are not.

We make judgements.  We all do.  Peter did.

So, when Christ lowered his knee to pick up Peter’s foot, Peter assumed a servant’s job was not for Christ to undertake.  Yet, it was…necessary.

A Lenten season is a preparation for what is to come.  The giving up’s and the whittling down’s while presently uncomfortable have holy implications.  Sacred releases of

           …what we think we want

                 …what we think we need

                      …and even, who we think we are.

This Lenten unleashing is our basin of filthy water and the damp, dirty towel.   It’s bigger than this moment even if we can’t comprehend.

We may choose our Lenten sacrifices but the more importantly, He chose us to clean.

“You do not understand what I am doing, but you will understand later on.”

John 13:7

I can’t help but notice Lent comes in the deep of winter.  When the ground is hard and cold.  When trees stand like skeletons stark against the sky.  When a muddied gray covers the horizon more often than not.  This is the season when the green growth of life seems forever lost.

In truth, it is only dormant.  Sleeping.  Tucked away from the harsh winter’s breath.  Underneath the dark of earth, it is nestled warm beneath a multicolored quilt of fallen leaves and the fluffy down of fresh fallen snow.

Roots grow wider and deeper.  Flower bulbs take in the nutrients that will soon give birth to the colors of spring.  Seeds that fell to earth in the fall have burrowed their hulls deep in the dirt to die a martyr’s death.  Their demise is momentary but necessary in order for life to bear their fruit.

Fitting it seem that the liturgical and the literal seasons marry themselves together.  Mirror images – creation and created drawing from the same Source.

In this barren moment of Lent, life prevails.

I am a morning person.  I think I have always been.  In these sacred early hours when the rest of the world is asleep I am awake with anticipation.  Much like the empty page of my journal waits for me to set thoughts down in ink, I wait for this day to unfold.

Mornings are the blank canvas waiting for the brushstrokes of heaven to set its beauty.  These gentle beginnings are a gift.  Every day has the potential of greatness as long as we don’t name it with yesterday’s thoughts.  Yet, we do that don’t we?  Call what is to come by what has already been.  We wish for different but wallow in the same.

Wishing for more doesn’t move us there.

We must welcome the light of this new day and all its moments.  Embrace it for all that it is.  Be attentive to all that happens.  Hold out your hands empty to receive to its every gift.   Not all gifts will come wrapped as we expect but they remain gifts of grace nonetheless.

Today may you find thanks for unexpected surprises.

May your heart find confidence in Him instead of looking at what you think is impossible.

Never forget He is the God of exceedingly, abundantly, more than we can ask or imagine

May all that you are wait quietly before Him.

See Him do a new thing.

And, let go of the old stuff and to welcome it in.

He is the sky painting, star hanging and dust breathing Creator God.

Today let Him create in you.