Show me your pain and I will show you your passion.

It is the same and it is transforming, first, by transforming itself …

into joy!

Without the pain,

there is no passion,

Without the passion,

there is no joy.

Without the joy …

 

Without the JOY!?!?

 

You must be kidding me!

Without the joy, I'll go back to bed.

But with joy, I'm going out there to passionately,

make a difference

today.

 

And let me never forget,

Oh One Who came to suffer and to serve,

that it was through pain that You

brought us life and through Your suffering that we,

were set free and sent forth

to serve.

 

We live in a world of pain and concentrated suffering.

 

Where is your pain focused? You have your own and that is a given. Have you found that place where you have absorbed and borne the pain of some part of the world or some people or some cause?n Have you found that place in your heart where you can suffer with (COM-passion) others and feels their pain as much or more than your own?

 

That is where your passion will be an that is where you will be energized by God to serve and to change the world through business, ministry, or life. Whatever the venue, the source is within you … where you hurt most is where you will find your greatest joy.

 

Explore these things. They are not for the faint-at-heart who desire to remain afloat in a sea of complacency and pseudo comfort, but they are for you …

 

I know this because …

 

You are still reading this while others have dropped off and because …

 

You want to make a difference and because …

 

You do know where you hurt and have moved beyond your personal pain to embrace the pain of others … and …

 

It makes you sick to your stomach to think of things going on as they are and you want to heal the broken people you see and you, you, you want to make a difference and this passion is not something you sought or something you made up.

 

It has come to you as a gift and a call.

 

Today!

 

Think and pray!

 

God bless you.

 

 

How can I, God of mercy,

How can I humble myself

To seek Thy forgiveness

If I am haughty enough to demand retribution

From my neighbor?

How can I seek pardon,

Guilty as I am,

If I withhold it from one who has offended me?

Is there not one entry way to my soul for

That which flows in and

That which flows forth?

 

If I close down the outflow of mercy,

How can I drink of its inflow?

God of love, I am a stained as anyone.

I am as needy as the most despicable and defiled.

You, who knows and sees all and

Sees my heart,

You know how dark it can be in there when

The lights go out.

I cannot live in the dark and,

It is in the dark,

The bleak and cold dark where I …

Seek only justice and revenge for myself …

 

It is in the dark where I delight in

The pain of my enemy and

The defeat of those who seek my defeat.

I cannot live in such darkness.

It is in the dark where I, who with my lips,

Seek pardon,

Refuse it for there is one word,

Just One,

 

Just one word of acceptance or refusal …

 

For myself and for my neighbor.

It is either "Yes" or "No,"

And it covers us both.

Cover me, Oh God of giddy grace,

With rose pedals of yeses!

Cover me with snowflakes of mercy and

Forgiveness.

 

Cover my face with smiles for my nemeses that they may be

My soon friends.

Cover my darkness with light and

Obliterate the darkness of bitterness and

Anger with

The bright, sparkling, shiny glow

of Love.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen and

Amen.

"It is in dying that we are born to eternal life." – Prayer of St. Francis

 

So, let me die today and die daily.
There is nothing in my instincts to pray such a prayer.
But then, there is nothing in my instinctual drive to cling …
… to extinct-ual or
… extinguishable
"living" that
lives beyond the moment.
I pray to resist that drive, that urge, that urgency to
survive that
extinguishes life.
Some day, that will mean laying down my body, but,
today it means …
laying down this body of sin,
of self,
of sensual necessity that says,
"I am thee," but
is not me.
Nor is it Thee in me, Oh God who knows
and gives
and lives
in and through
all who die this way.
I prayed, "Kill me," and
Thou didst not…
and would not.
You said, "Just die and live," and
I tried it and I did and there You were!
You handed me a cross and said,
"Go carry it."
And I asked, "What is it?"
And You said,
"It is the pain and suffering and pain and disgust,
and ugliness, and bad choices, and bitter gall,
and nasty words, thoughts, and accusations,
and hateful hurts of those You will meet today."
And I said, "Why should I?"
And You said, "Because I did and do and you said that
You wanted to follow me and this is what we carry."
And I said, "The burden is too heavy."
And You said, "I know."
And I asked, "So?"
And You said, "Go … I am with you."
And so …
I did … at least that day and then I asked,
"What do I do with them?"
And You said, "Bring them to me,"
and I replied, "But You already have all of these,"
and You said, "Mind Your own business, I've got it handled."
I said. "OK, You are the Master,"
and You smiled and said, "I know."
Master, this really feels and lot like living and You said,
"I know. I told you so. What you though was living,
was not.
It distorts your view because the lens is sprinkled with mirrors
always pointing back at you and
seeing life and events and people from
ego and self-interest and it is not in your
self-interest to be
that interested in yourself.
Deadsville!
Die to Deadsville and live!"
In so many words 
And so, Lord, I die today,
I nail Deadsville …

… and my citizenship there with all my credentials and investments to
Your cross.
Thanks for my cross. It fits me.
I sort of like it.
I know I love this new life You have given me and
I really love these people You keep bringing into my life.
Help me to bear their burdens until I can get them to You and
Thank You for bearing them and mine.
I am starting to get it …
It is in dying that we are born
To eternal life.
I look forward to seeing You face to face some day,
When I have laid down this body of flesh and this cross.
Thanks for the invitation and for paying the admission price.
Thank You, my Jesus,
My Lord, my Savior, my Friend, and My Brother,
Amen.