We know about feeling thwarted, don't we? Thwarted is an Old English word that sounds a bit like what it means....stopped, stymied, frustrated. Twharted-ness can be as simple as not getting into the restaurant you'd planned on, or as startling as a job falling apart, as sad as a dream disappearing. As small as the bridge being up and a big as a rejection in love.
Our writer, Henri Nouwen asks us on Day 7 of Advent to consider if we are thwarting God's access to our attention, access to our hearts. He points to big things like anger and greed as roadblocks that keep us from getting near to God. We can easily see how an obsessive anger or a consuming greed might well deafen us to the calls of better angels.
But Henri suggests that we thrwart God's access to our hearts in many smaller ways, through the distractions and absorptions of our days, small things that cummulatively leave little time and space for God to break into our hearts and heads. I can sure think of a few of my own, and I suspect you know what yours are, as well.
One healthy thing that seems to happen when we let God come near...many of our own feelings of being thwarted seem to get put in their place, and routes ahead appear.
Today, I plan to take down a roadblock or two. Join me?
Tim, I really get the thwarted concern for all of us attempting to live with more spirituality. I seem to be in that place right now. We just can't seem to get through a necessary hoop in our lives and I am afraid that is where my heart is lying. It's an awful feeling when everything seems to come before our relationship with God. I am hopeful because of your words today that I will be able to let go and let God in/around/through me. I know that needs/wants often overtake God. That anxiety and frustration by habit resound rather than the silence that invites our God in. Today when it started already seems to be piling up and the need to get "important" and "critical" stuff done that is really going to "effect our lives" is taking over. Why can't I just allow God to take over and sit back and know that all things go better with God. So, I've taken on the task/responsibility/and need to just let go and see what happens in God's time. We will get the "necessary" done, if it's really that important. But somehow, I realize that my relationship with God has to come first and what follows will follow. Its difficult to prioritize God in to life. That's the thwart. I think I need to change my priorities. Just for today I want to do it different. The waiting will not come easy but I can do this and what happens is all in God's hands and my love for God and God's Word will guide through this difficult waiting. How long did people wait for their Savior to come and when he did he was only a small child. As we await with anticipation His coming again we must be patient. I must be patient.
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