Journal Entry 7
March 28, 2008
Someone asked me the other day if I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had to stop and think for a while, “you mean there is an end of the tunnel?” I guess I hadn’t really even taken the time to think about it. One story can illustrate this: Spring break was three weeks ago, and it was a very welcomed time off. I had a few days around Virginia before I traveled north to New York, stopping to see a friend in Pennsylvania on the way there. I had a good time with family and friends in New York, then stopped to see friends in southern New York and Philadelphia before returning to campus two days before classes resumed. I was looking forward to having some time to adjust to being back in Virginia and to prepare myself for the last month and a half of seminary. Unfortunately when I returned to my apartment I was confronted with vandalism that had taken place in the dorm while I was gone. There went any chance of slowly preparing to return to seminary classes. By the time I began classes two days later my mind was already swirling with the events of the last few days.
In some ways I have still been struggling to feel like I have any space to breath in my life. However, just this week in the class Formation in Personhood, I was given a chance to breathe. We are learning about spiritual disciplines, and this day we were discussing prayer. Mary Theissen Nation prepared a handout that had several prayers from Richard Foster’s book on prayer, and she invited us to find a spot and reflect on and pray these prayers. I found a chair next to a window and began to read down through the different types of prayers. One of these thanked God for the ordinary things such as flowers and birds. I looked out the window and saw some daffodils blooming and just at that moment a bird flew by the window. I continued to read through the prayers and was especially struck by the authoritative prayer. This prayer recognizes God’s strength and his ability to overcome any powers of darkness or sin. It felt good to call upon that power to replace hopelessness and unending feelings of being overwhelmed with beauty and grace from God. Especially in these busy and overwhelming times, it is important to thank and see God in the ordinary as well as to identify and take hold of him who has all the power to help me through all things. In fact, it is that same power that will help me through these times. And that is a very welcomed assurance.
--Adam Houser
