"Be courteous to all, intimate with few, and let those be well-tried before you give them your confidence"

February 25, 2011
 We had a discussion today about Henri Nouwan's book In the Name of Jesus. In it, he says "Go live among the poor in spirit, and they will heal you." This is so beautiful because if this statement is entirely lived out, removes the "us" and "them" distinctions that all to often characterize work focused on marginalized individuals. When we go and live with these children and families, we are not just being used by God to help heal them, but they are being used by Him to help heal us. The book also discusses the idea of first and second loves. God has a perfect love for us. When I am with him in prayer, I feel his love for me. Yet, I still look for that perfect first love in people that are only second loves that need grace just like me. God has really been showing me that I need to stop idealizing romantic love and other second loves and just be in God's perfect love and grace.
Anyways, today was good. We got a lot done at the church and started forming sentences in Romanian during the lesson.