What Came 1st, The Seed or the Tree?

It has always been a quandary to me why people don't believe in God. I am blown away by His evidence in nature, especially in the changing of the seasons and the beauty of life coming from the tiniest of seeds. Brother Lawrence spoke of this as something that had captured his attention as a young man. He sensed the high "Providence and Power of God" while viewing a barren tree in winter, knowing it would soon push forth leaves and fruit. These thoughts of God never left him. They had perfectly set him loose from the world and kindled in him such a love for God, that he could not tell whether it had increased in the 40 years since it had appeared. (Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God, Ch. 1)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Simple Isn't Always Simple

Studying the life of someone like Brother Lawrence is quite inspiring and yet, comparing oneself to someone like him can seem quite taxing, wondering how anyone could attain the sort of internal peace and submission that he was able to find. While speaking to a friend who has a very different personality type than my own, I realized that his views on Bro Lawrence are affected by the way he views life and by his own spiritual experiences. This friend pointed out that while it was wonderful that Bro L was able to submit quite easily to the will of God and to not concern himself with the issues and faults of men, that this must have been a great grace that he received because for most of us, we don't even know how to begin to get to a place where we could find that peace. This friend would describe himself as a worrier who has almost unattainable expectations of himself and others. To find a true peace within is a real struggle, almost a battle. So I wonder if what appears to be a sto...
Read more

Seed and Soil

Image
Parables are filled with imagery that is good for the soul. When thinking about how to go about creating artwork that speaks truth through symbol and image, looking to the Gospels is a powerful resource.  Marcus Grodi, host of The Journey Home on EWTN, wrote a book called "Life from Our Land: The Search for a Simpler Life in a Complex World." In it he tells personal stories of how his family learned to work an inherited land in the mostly wooded, clay bed, foothill country of the Appalachian mountains. He grew up a city boy and though he and his family knew very little about how to make the land productive, they researched and learned what they had been given. His book ties together spiritual lessons with a growing understanding of the physical earth placed in their care.  One of the chapters in Grodi's book is titled "Stewardship" and delves into the job we've been given as humans to take care of the earth. He uses the parable of the sower and the different...
Read more

Psalm 63:1

Image
"Little Easters"  8"x 8" Encaustic  "Brother Lawrence said that in order to form a habit of conversing with God continually and referring all we do to Him, we must at first apply to Him with some diligence. Then, after a little care, we would find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty. He expected after the pleasant days God had given him, he would have his turn of pain and suffering. Yet he was not uneasy about it. Knowing that, since he could do nothing of himself, God would not fail to give him the strength to bear them." Lawrence, Brother. The Practice of the Presence of God
Read more