Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen, (1932-1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life. The following quotes are dedicated to my blogger-friend Barbara who often quotes Henri:
The level to which we grieve our wounds is the level to which we show compassion to others.
The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing... not healing, not curing... that is a friend who cares.
When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope.
When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advise, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.
Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared.
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Bob, thank you. You have no idea how much this meant to me this morning. Especially the first one - it was a good reminder that we can turn a negative into a positive. Bless you.
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