Mar 2011 The Road to Daybreak A Spiritual Journey by Henri J M Nouwen

Continue from ...... Our Fragmented Lives Not much to report today except for many little frustrations, interruptions, and distractions. One of those days that pass without having felt like a real day. Many letters, telehpone calls, short vistis, little talks, but no real work, no sense of moving, no sense of direction. A day that is so fragmented that it does not seem to come togther at all - except perhaps by writing about it! One of the great gifts of the spiritual life is to know that even days like this are not a total waste. There was still an hour of prayer. There was still the Eucharist, there were still moments of gratitude for the gifts of life. And there is the opportunity to realize that a day like this unites me with thousands, even millions, of people for whom many days are like this, yet who are in no position to do anything about it. So many men, women, children dream about creative lives; yet because they are not free to shape their own lives, they cannot realize their dreams. I had better pray for them tonight. Choosing What is Important This morning I spoke with Pere Andre about my restlessness. Pere Andre is a Jesuit priest from Belgium who spends part of the year at Trosly. He directs the Jesuits who make their third year of formation at L'Arche and gives spiritual guidance to many of the assistants. I told him I have the sense of being terribly busy without feeling that I am moving down the right path. Pere Andre responded by saying that I have to keep a careful eye on the difference between urgent things and important things. If I allow the urgent things to dominate my day, I will never do what is truly important and will always feel dissatisfied. He said, "You will always be surrounded by urgent things. That is part of your character and your way of living. You move from Harvard to Trosly to get away from the busy life, and soon Trosly is as busy for you as Harvard. The issue is not where you are, but how you live wherever you are. For you that means a constant choosing of what is important and a willingness to accept that the urgent things can wait or be left undone." I know both how right this advice is and how difficult it is for me to put it into practice. I responded, "How do I know what to let go of? Should I not answer my mail, not write that book, not visit or receive these persons, not pray, not spend so much time with handicapped people? What is urgent and what is important?" He said, "You have to decide to whom you want to be obedient." We talked about the question of obedience a bit. Then he said, "Why don't you let me be your authority. Stop writing books and articles for a while, answer your mail, be good to those who visit you, pray, and just be here at L'Arche without worrying so much." When I came home, I felt a lot freer. I started to answer letters and felt good about spending my time this way. I could even say to myself, "You are not allowed to do anything else!" My restlessness faded as I went about my work.

- To Be Continued - © Copyright Shalom 2011. All rights reserved.