More love, less fear

Last night at our group we discussed and practiced becoming a good receiver. I started with this quote from Henri Nouwen:

You will discover that the more love you can take in and hold on to, the less fearful you will become. You will speak more simply, more directly, and more freely about what is important to you, without fear of other people's reactions. You will also use fewer words, trusting that you communicate your true self even when you do not speak much. The more you come to know yourself--spirit, mind, and body--as truly loved, the freer you will be to proclaim the good news. That is the freedom of the children of God.

We read excerpts from Mark Yaconelli's book (see previous posts) that continued the thoughts about Jesus being able to receive and accept that he was beloved and how that undergirded him for his life, mission, and suffering. We took a few minutes to do nothing--nothing but let ourselves connect with God's love. I played the track Heaven's Rain by Grace Williams while we soaked. We shared what we noticed during this experience and further discussed how we could participate in each other's experience of receiving God's love. This community aspect is something we will continue to pursue.

An aside: As I live more fully in love, in some situations, becoming less fearful for me means speaking more freely, using more words and even more creative expressions.