extraordinary

I stole this picture from someone, a friend. It was taken at L'Abri, a place I've been missing much these days. This picture has always been in my mind, exrtraordinary!

And keeping with my theme of "extraordinary" I thought I'd share some words with you. I'm re-reading a book that I love. It's called "Compelled To Write To You" By Christopher de Vinck and Elizabeth Mosbo.

The longer you live the better you will be able to understand your struggling inner nature, and you will be able to find an outlet for the power that it gives you. Some people write, some sing, some raise a family, some join law firms, others plant roses. How we express our sensual, spiritual, and intellectual selves defines who we are.

You will be dazzled for all of your life with possibilities...and most of those possibilities you will not be able to pursue simply because you cannot do all that you wish, travel everywhere, pursue all relationships, do different careers. You will find yourself involved with certain routines, certain relationships, certain careers; and if you are wise and open to God's vision, if you are graced, those routines and relationships and careers will be enough to sustain you and protect you from being too diffused and watered down in the spirit and in the body.

Something I know for sure: Whatever you decide to do with your life will involve a small death inside of you, a giving over to something that was not there before and a leaving behind of something that was once there. And when you do make a decision, you can't turn back. Of course you can change jobs, choices, etc. That is not what I mean. But once you select what is most significant in your life, you walk away from less significant things, which makes you stronger but also makes you less of a child.

You have to give up the ways of a child in order to return to purity of heart. Whatever your vocation eventually becomes, it will consume you. You have an obligation to live an extraordinary life. So be a doctor or a missionary or an architect or a social worker--it doesn't matter what you choose. It's obvious to me that you are surrounding yourself with options that contain many people, that you'll be doing something for many people.

Those of you who have written and asked, or just wondered how I'm doing these days... Well, this is a glance into my thoughts.

Love you!