Reading Joan Chittister the last few days has been a tonic for my weary soul. She never disappoints and this book is exactly what I needed to read now. I’ve been feeling sorry for myself and I never wear it well. Bad things happen to good people. We all know that but nobody wants to live it. Tonight as I’m finishing another day I read the following quote. It’s so appropriate.
“By learning to bear hard things well, we secure the future of the human race as well as our own ability to survive. By being willing to put our personal power down in favor of someone else’s vision and experience, we pledge ourselves to benefit from the power and goodness of others. We save ourselves from our own limitations and follies, from our lack of maturity and experience. Most of all, we pledge ourselves to be open to the wisdom figures of life and so become wiser ourselves as we go. Without endurance we succumb silently to the demons of injustice. We dry up inside, shrivel in our hope, and belie the will of God for the world. On the other hand, a spirituality of endurance frees us from the rampages of destructive pride. It opens us to a community of wisdom figures, guides who, if we will only allow it, are there to lead us through the ravages of our time.”
— Radical Spirit: 12 Ways to Live a Free and Authentic Life by Joan Chittister