Like A Leper

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Martha
Resurrection Tapestry, Vatican Museum, taken by Martha Wiggins 2012

Resurrection Tapestry, Vatican Museum, taken by Martha Wiggins 2012

“They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  Luke 17:13

     Do you hang back?  Are you afraid to approach Jesus because you feel unworthy to do so?

In Luke 17:11-19 we hear about a group of ten men who have a skin disease, leprosy.  To be a leper in Biblical times was to be chastized as unclean, to be an outcast.  No one would come near a leper.  No one would touch a leper.  No one would even help to care for their wounds.  Lepers were on their own, totally cut off from everyone and everything they knew and loved.  Their only solace came from banding together and forming colonies with others suffering in the same way.  Thus, is the existence of these ten men when they hear about Jesus.  They hear how He has been healing the sick, the blind, and the lame.  And, He is coming!  He will be passing their way, but they can’t help wondering if He will help them, unclean as they are.

Refusing to give in to despair, they decide go to the small town nearby and seek Him out.  Not wanting to get close to Him, they call out from afar, begging Him to take pity on them.  Jesus hears them and tells them to go show themselves to their priest.  In Luke’s Gospel we read, “And as they went, they were cleansed.”  (Luke 17:14)   You can just imagine their bewildered questioning as they walked off.  “Why are we going to the priest?  What is the priest going to do for us?”  And then someone says, “I don’t know, but Jesus said to go, and based on all I have heard about Him, I am going!  He must have a reason!”  The others must have looked at each other and then agreeing all set off for the priest.  Imagine the group, having been paused and arguing, taking that next step in unison.  In that next step, one of trust and belief in Jesus, they are all healed.  They begin jumping with joy, and run excitedly off to show their priest, all but one that is.

In his joy, the one realizes the source of his healing.  He returns first to Jesus in order to thank Him.  Jesus asks about the others, wanting to know where they are, for weren’t they all healed?  He already knows that the others are running wildly around, rushing to show their loved ones and friends they have been healed.  I like to think they just got overly excited, and will later remember to go find and thank Jesus.  To the one Jesus says, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19)  This leper was cleansed both on the outside and the inside.  He was well, whole once more, and he knew who was responsible.  He went on as Jesus told him to do, but with a heart overflowing with love, joy, and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Let us be like the one leper.  If we truly feel unworthy to approach Jesus, let us call out to Him from right where we are, from a distance.  Let us ask Him to have pity on us, to have mercy on us.  And when He does, because He will, let us then not be afraid to take that first step, and let us then approach Him in thanksgiving.  He will draw us near to Him, and we will never want to be apart from Him again, for with Him we are made well.  We are whole again.

“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8

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Lord, You Are The Grace of Hope

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Martha
One of the Stations of The Cross inside the Pantheon, Rome, Italy, 2011, taken by Martha Wiggins

One of the Stations of The Cross inside the Pantheon, Rome, Italy, 2011, taken by Martha Wiggins

Lord, You are the Grace of Hope.

Forgive me, Lord, when Your love seems not enough to carry me through; when I cannot take that next step out of fear, indecision, or timidness.

Thank you, Lord, for the Grace of Hope; the knowing faith that even unseen, unheard, unfelt, or even ignored, You are ever there at my side.

Know that He is ever there.  You do not have to experience Him in the physical realm to know that He is there for He provides you with the Grace of Hope, with Faith.  Faith conquers all, so you can take that next step without fear.

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Servant’s Offering

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Martha
Bernini's Holy Spirit at Saint Peter's Basilica

Bernini’s Holy Spirit at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011

 

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit;

Be the wisdom in my mind, the words in my mouth, and the love in my heart.

Let all that I am this day serve only to lead all souls to You.

Let my own soul ever be a reflection of Your great mercy and love.

All glory and praise are Yours now and forever.

Amen.

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One Of Twelve

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Martha
Resurrection Tapestry, Vatican Museum, taken by Martha Wiggins 2012

Resurrection Tapestry, Vatican Museum, taken by Martha Wiggins 2012

“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity.”   Matthew 10:1

Bringing souls to Christ can sometimes be exhausting work.  Often, and as it should be, the souls harvested are done so without any knowledge of the efforts, prayers, and sacrifices made on their behalf.  In a way that is easier on the harvester, for he does not have to worry about ego. The souls harvested who are aware of those efforts bring attention to the harvester.  That sometimes makes it difficult to fight off the pride resulting from such attention.

It can also be hard when the harvester works in the same field alongside other harversers and sees the results of other harvester’s work.  This too can cause the harvester to wrestle with ego.  He might wonder if his own work is not good enough, or why he didn’t have the same or as many results.  He may become envious of the other harvester.

When the harvester lets ego get in the middle of the work, he begins to lose the proper perspective necessary to harvest the souls.  He begins to think it is his own efforts, his own deeds that bring about results.  He forgets for Whom he works.  When this happens, even though he may be harvesting a great number of souls for Christ, he does so at his own soul’s peril.

While the ultimate goal of the harvester is to gain souls for Christ, his own soul must be won too.  He must look within, see Christ therein, and then thwart self at every turn.  That work can be just as exhausting.  As a harvester, he knows what is right and good for other souls, but must go to the master harvester to seek what is right and good for his own.  A tired harvester must seek out wisdom in God’s Word.  It is there he will find much to learn from the the original harvesters, the chosen twelve.  It is in God’s Word the harvester will see once again whose work he is about, who bestows the talents needed, and who sows the seeds to be reaped in the harvest.

In Matthew above, it is good to note that Jesus chose twelve disciples.  Not one, but twelve.  In  his infinite wisdom, He knew that one disciple could not accomplish all that must be accomplished.  He knew that different harvesters have different talents that attract the right souls to them.  Every harvester must realize this so as not be envious of another’s talents or another’s harvest.

The original twelve disciples passed on their commission to harvest souls to many chosen from the harvested.  If you are one who works in the field of harvesting souls, let not your own soul grow weary.  Know that you too have been chosen and given special talents to share God’s Word.  Fight off ego, pride, and vanity, knowing that the rewards here on earth are the harvest itself, and the rewards in eternity will be even greater where all the harvesters and harvested shall live forever!

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Follow And Be Healed

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Martha
Interior of Saint Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011, taken by Martha Wiggins

Interior of Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011, taken by Martha Wiggins

“Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, as the other.  But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.  And Jesus perceiving it withdrew from thence: and many followed him; and he healed them all…”  Matthew 12:13-15

     “And He healed them all.”  Sometimes it is hard to wrap our brain around the idea that Jesus is for everyone, Jesus is for all, and that includes us.  After all, we see how unworthy we are, and we judge the worthiness of others as well.

I love thinking about the crowd following Jesus.  News of healings, the lame walking, the blind seeing, had been circulating like wildfire through the small towns.  He often requested silence from those He healed, but their joy spilled forth for all to see.  So they came in droves to find and follow Him, and for many varied reasons.  He healed them all.

His healing power is the same today as it was then.  He bids us follow Him.  Whether it be a hunger for His words, a stirring within our soul, or a revelation in our heart, we are drawn to seek His Truth for our own lives.  We choose to believe in Jesus, and when we do, because we have faith we are healed.

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Fool’s Prayer

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Martha
Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011. Saint Catherine of Siena is buried beneath the altar, and to the left is a statue carved by Michelangelo -Christ Bearing The Cross.

“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.  Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.   For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.”      Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

     Sometimes when we approach God in Church, in prayer, or even in the Bible, we go with our prayers prepared and the answer we expect.  With script in hand we know just how everything will go before we even get there, before we even pray.  We may actually get exactly what we expect, but that doesn’t always mean it is the best answer.  I call this type of pre-scripted prayer and answer fool’s prayer.  God may suffer us as fools because we don’t know any other way, but it will certainly take much longer to accomplish His will in our lives, for He will first have to show us that our answers are not in our best interest.

As in Ecclesiastes above, we should always approach the house of God to listen and not to hastily give our laundry list of prayers and desired answers.  We should not be impulsive in bringing our cares and concerns to Him, but rather, after careful consideration, and then with a listening ear to hear what God has to say.  When we do so, we are quicker to learn where He wants to lead us.  We hear rather than tell.  We pray with few words, hear with a listening ear, and do not offer the sacrifice of fools.

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Lord, You Are Courage

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Martha
My sons hiking above The Valley of Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Canada, 2010, taken by Martha Wiggins

My sons hiking above The Valley of Ten Peaks, Banff National Park, Canada, 2010, taken by Martha Wiggins

Lord, You are Courage.

Forgive me, Lord, when I fail to speak out on your behalf out of fear what others might think.   Forgive me when when I fail to share You out of fear of embarrassment.

Thank you, Lord, for your example of great courage and perseverance to share your Father with others even in the face of persecution and death.  Strengthen my resolve and courage to share You with all no matter what the cost.

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Do We Know Each Other?

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Martha
Columbian Ground Squirrels, Banff National Park, Canada, 2010, taken by Martha Wiggins

Columbian Ground Squirrels, Banff National Park, Canada, 2010, taken by Martha Wiggins

In this age of instant everything relationships too have become instant on and instant off.  Just a click away to letting all know one is ‘in’ a relationship or now ‘single’.  With the intimate technology of facebook, and the not really intimate very public fast paced technology of twitter, it is much easier than ever before to renew an old friendship or make a new one with someone across the continent or around the globe.  In fact, we have the ability to become a voyeur in almost anyone’s personal business, if they allow us to do so, and often even if they don’t.  We can look up criminal records of neighbors or fellow employees.  We can look up how much someone sold or bought their house for, and even do a virtual drive by with an address and google street view maps!  Because our lives have become more and more open to public scrutiny, we may often find ouselves knowing more about someone than we really want to, or should.

While we can know a lot about someone, actually knowing them, knowing who they really are, is a different matter.  It takes time and effort, not just clicking ‘Like’ on every single one of someone’s status updates on facebook.  Don’t get me wrong, facebook is a wonderful way to keep in touch and share with our family and friends.  There isn’t enough time in our busy lives to physically reach out and touch everyone, so internet hugs and smiles can bridge a time gap and keep us connected until our next face to face meet up.  I also believe, because of facebook, there are more birthday wishes and prayers being said for others than ever before.  That is a good thing, unless we begin to hide from real life behind our mouse!

To know someone in depth we must communicate.  We must not only listen, but we mush share.  That takes time, even on the Internet.  I have several friends on facebook that I have never physically met.  We became friends because of common links we were commenting on and found things we had in common with each other personally.  Because I share my spiritual journal on facebook, most of them are my friends spiritually.

Most of my spiritual friends are of different faiths from me, so one might wonder do we really know each other?  I think so.  We are willing to take the time necessary to read and comment on each others posts or writings, and I am sure our comments or posts give us food for reflection and bring us to a closer relationship with God as a result.  We respect each other’s faiths and desires to share Jesus with all.  We learn from each other.  Because we have come to know each other’s spirits, I can say we KNOW each other.

Yes, to know someone, you must get to know their spirit.  To know someone you must give your time, not only sharing yourself but listening too.  It is in the back and forth communications that we come to know them, to know their spirit.  Is it any different with Jesus? I think not.  To know Him we must take time to share, to listen, to learn, and to communicate back and forth with Him, with His Spirit.  When we do so, we can then say we KNOW Him.  We know His spirit.  We know Him as our personal Lord and Savior.

I am thankful for my spiritual facebook friends, the ones I know personally, and the ones I KNOW spiritually.  May God bless us all as we work together for His greater glory and to make Him KNOWN to all.

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Devoted To Progress…

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Martha
Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011. Saint Catherine of Siena is buried beneath the altar, and to the left is a statue carved by Michelangelo -Christ Bearing The Cross.

“Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress.”  1 Timothy 4:15

     My time in The Stillness always takes place in the privacy of my home.  I share it with all as I have been led to do.  Progress is part of the journey; progress both spiritually and personally.  I would like to share a little about my progress as an example of the myriad of changes and feelings that take place when one is seriously devoted to deepening his or her personal relationship with God.

In the beginning I felt unworthy, humbled to the core.  Then I grew to realize He was calling on me to share Him with all.  Unworthiness was replaced by feelings of inadequacy, and still humbled to the core.  As I stepped outside my comfort zone and began to publicly share my journey of faith, inadequacy turned into self-consciousness, even some embarrassment.  Slowly, I became a bit more comfortable, and as I did He continued to ask more and more of me, having me build a website from the ground up to share Him in a new way through my personal writings.  As I am not at all a computer geek, I was treading in uncharted waters.  After a month of laborious trial and error I broke down in tears, telling Him that if He wanted that website He would have to build it Himself!  He seemed to realize I was at my limit, for He resolved my issue and I was able to launch Martha’s Orbit and Orbital Buzz.  I have had to fight with myself every step of the way in order to follow what I felt He was commanding me to do.  As always, His message was plain and clear, “You are my daughter, and what daughter would not speak out on behalf of her Father.”

It has now been several years since I first sat in Stillness before God.  I long to spend time in The Stillness.  Only there do I feel complete.  I know my unworthiness.  I know I am called.  I know I am forgiven, and loved.  I also know I am still a work in progress and that is okay.  One thing for sure, I am much more aware of when I fail Him, when I sin.  That awareness brings pain from knowing I have disappointed Him.  I am acutely aware of how His use of me affects others.  I often worry about misleading someone or driving them away from Him rather than pointing them toward Him.  This is the reason for the strict separation of Journey Through The Stillness and Martha’s Orbital Buzz.  In The Stillness He gives me what I am to write, and anything else I clearly mark as personal thoughts.  On the website He infuses me with thoughts and ideas, but the writing is all mine.

As a kind of disclaimer, I feel it necessary to say that while I write what I feel compelled to write in The Stillness, I in no way wish to make others think that I am perfect or have all the answers.  Jesus is the answer to every question.  I am still humbled to the core that He would deign to use me, a sinner.  I have many faults and human frailties which I am trying to work through and improve upon.  With His help and strength I am making progress.

My plan is to continue to devote myself to following His commands, and to continue to share my progress in Journey Through The Stillness.  I have also learned that I must be prepared for anything He might ask of me.  My prayer for each of you is that you will use my journey and writings to further your own relationship with Jesus, that you too may become one with Him in The Stillness.

(This post was originally written in 2012, only a couple of years into my journey.  Now, in 2014, I have found myself struggling through a spiritual desert.  I believe He has put me through this time only to bring me closer to Him.  It is a painful struggle, as I also believe that I make it worse through my own actions and in-actions, thoughts and concerns.  The Stillness is no longer there for me as it once was and I miss the consolations He blessed me with during it more than I can ever put into words.  This is the reason for sharing only past entries from my journal, “Journey Through The Stillness”.    However, I know He has not and will not ever forsake me.  I am His, for He is IN me and I am IN Him.  Note, that I did not say I was separated from Him, just in a desert, one of lack of soul stirring feeling.  I still pray and seek Him.  He still provides and guides. As always, I pray for each of you on your own faith journey.  Please pray for me, as I continue to share as He leads me.)

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Our Sacred Space

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Martha

800px-Sun_and_Clouds_001“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”  Luke 4:18

Whenever we see someone so consumed by something that they cannot focus on anything else, we say they ‘eat, sleep, and drink’ whatever they are consumed by.  It may be a sport, a career, money, a diet, or even a religion.  They have an aura about them and become known by their enthusiasm for it.  This can be either a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what it is, depending on the extent to which it controls the person.  There are two key questions to ask when deciding whether it is an enthusiasm or an obsession.  Does it add or take away from life?  Does it serve a higher good?

By definition the word sacred means to be consecrated to God.  Being consecrated to God, our Creator, our Savior is all encompassing.  It is a way of life.  If we ‘eat, sleep, and drink’ our faith we will create an aura around us.  Unlike the others auras mentioned above, this one is sacred.  When we walk with Christ, we create a sacred space around us.  We can choose to let in only that which serves a higher good, that which brings us closer to God.  Our sacred space becomes both our light, and our protection.  In it we are safe, free from evil.  Out of it we are vulnerable to attack by evil.

From within our sacred space we exude sacred energy.  Others will know we walk with Christ by our enthusiasm to embrace life, by our concern and care for all.  Others will be drawn to our sacred space, drawn to the Light.

Each and every day we have the ability to bring the Light of Christ into the world.  Let us be drawn into His aura, His sacred space.  Let us walk with Him throughout our life creating a sacred space around us and welcoming all!

May the Spirit of the Lord be upon you.

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