Inspiring Ignatian Quote #5

I didn’t want to add this quote yesterday, with the 4th of July festivities in full swing, with fireworks banned in many communities in the area, due to excessive heat and dry conditions ripe for starting of fires. (that seemed to be largely ignored, however). But that got me to thinking . . . so too are our hearts at times . . . dry . . . arid . . . lifeless . . . Especially during these difficult times when we may be weary from the struggles of the past year and a half.

Maybe we had losses so great we questions if there really was a God?

Maybe we were so tired of all the changes and new and challenging ways we had to learn to ‘live life’, that we simply forgot to pray some days?

Maybe we were so isolated and feeling so alone, we gave into despair and/or depression?

In any/all of these ways, the life and energy and vitality . . . our spirit . . . may have dried up . . . left us brittle. It may seem an unsurmountable obstacle to overcome, but with those conditions, it won’t take much to reignite our spirits.

All that is needed is a spark to kindle a flame, to set an ember into a blaze. That is precisely what the Holy Spirit is and does in our lives. At the time of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit of Christ appeared to Mary and the Apostles and disciples in the “Upper Room”, as tongues of fire, flames. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”

It is good to reflect on those final words, “. . . as the Spirit gave them ability”. Each one of us is gifted with different abilities. And, even within individual abilities is a range of intensity of that gift. For example, the gift of a smile. For some, a sweet, serene smile can be engaging, especially when seen unexpectedly on a day when that is just what we need. . . . to be seen, recognized, acknowledged and smiled upon. A simple warming from the flame of love. Simple.

At other times, laughter and exuberance are lavish gifts that are more like a roaring fire blazing within our hearts. But the gift started with the ability to smile or to take the smile to laughter. Reflecting on this, do you see a flow? Shy smile -> larger smile -> big toothy smile -> giggle -> laugh ->hearty laughter -> side-splitting, gut wrenching laughter that brings tears to our eyes and takes our breath away. All gifts have such a progression, from a tidbit -to- overflowing. The beauty is that the more we give, the more we are filled and have even more to give away. It doesn’t necessarily make sense, but that is how God seems to work. Lavishing us soooo generously with soooo many varying gifts we are called to share with others.

Yesterday, when enjoying dinner with a friend, there was a waitress who was absolutely adorable. I felt a tug on my heart to let her know that. Even though I risked her thinking I was some weird old lady, I did it anyway. I merely paused her as she walked past and said, “I just feel the need to tell you that you are adorable. I hope you don’t think that’s odd, but perhaps you needed to hear that?” After a brief pause, with tears welling up in her eyes, she replied, “Yes, I did. Thank you.” It was as if the Holy Spirit struck the match, but, was I paying attention to the ember I could ignite? Indeed, that time I was. I would love to know if there was any ripple-effect from that brief encounter, but I suspect she left work feeling a bit better about herself, and perhaps she shared that joy with someone else. And, so on . . .

My challenge to you, is to “Go forth and set the world on fire!” Start with a smile to a stranger and see what happens. Perhaps by the end of the day, you will have set several hearts aflame with love! Imagine a wildfire of love setting ablaze this summer instead of forest fires!