Noticing

Written on: February 8, 2016

Some years ago I wrote an article entitled “Is Lent All About What I Do?”  “No!” Lent is all about God’s love, God’s fidelity to us.  For me, the response provides a key link to exploring my connection with God Who loves Us in the midst of our literal moving out of our accustomed environments. During this Lenten Season of 2016 I encourage myself and others to try to keep noticing God’s love amidst the changes. It would be so good if we could accept each change as a surprise gift!

“Lift up your eyes round about and see.” Isaiah 60:4

“The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice.

And because we fail to notice

that we fail to notice

there is little we can do

to change until we notice

how failing to notice

shapes our thoughts and deeds.” –RD Laing

Noticing points us to recognize God in our daily lives.

I’m gradually discovering a nudge of more comfort, as I accept and own each new happening weaving itself into my daily life. I’m learning this as I become more aware of the people around me. Stepping from that, I’m finding we can be people of hope through the choices we make in our daily doings here and now in our new home as well as in our chaotic world

Am I open to growth? What am I noticing?

This Lent, a thought I have is let each one of us choose to respond to change with one or two practices. The essential ”first” is to include some time for further private prayer. As an outcome, giving time, getting in touch with someone who is lonely, fasting from being judgmental, fasting from gossiping, caring about ignored people and praying for them, praying for children who are abandoned and abused, are just a few ideas to consider.

Through all the overwhelming changes, whatever our geographic location, the positive grace is gratitude to God. Each one of us sees things from different perspectives; the richness of diversity. Gratitude for God’s grace is threaded through all of the happenings, and pulls us together.

“Is Lent All About What I Do?” “No!” Lent is all about God’s fidelity to us at this frontier time in our Grey Nun story. Lent is all about allowing God to re-form our hearts in the midst of change: to notice.

Sr. Anne Boyer

Sister Anne Boyer, GNSH is one of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart who have recently moved from the former Yardley Motherhouse. Forty-two Sisters are living in the same facility for Senior Citizens. Of those, a lucky few are in two-bedroom apartments, but most are living alone for the first time in their religious lives. They are using their God-given creativity and deep desire to find ways to be “Sisters” to and with one another. Challenging, yes, but they are determined to rise to that challenge and to live fully engaged in religious life, outside of the familiar walls of a traditional Motherhouse. 

If you would like to assist our Sisters in maintaining their active life of ministry and service, we welcome your financial support. Please CLICK HERE for more information.

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: aware, chaotic world, choices, fasting, fidelity, frontier, grace, gratitude, Lent, new home, noticing, reform, respond to change