Praying the Magnificat (The Canticle of Mary)

I love and enjoy the Holy Scriptures, and there are passages throughout that I have special fondness for.  I love how Peter writes that God chooses the stones that the builder rejects.  I love Hebrews 11 where the writer describes the great patriarchs of faith.  And there are several parts of the Bible which lend themselves perfectly to prayer: I love to pray the 23rd Psalm and The Lord’s Prayer.

The styles and tone of the battle king and the fishermen and the converted Pharisee are all distinctive and strong and hard-hitting, but one passage gently strums the strings of my heart because of its graceful feminine voice.  Nothing “speaks to my condition” like the Magnificat, expressions from the soul of a woman who humbly loved God. It affects me on a very personal level as a daughter of God, and I love to recite it in my prayers:

My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior, for He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden, for behold from henceforth shall all generations call me blessed, for He that is mighty hath done unto me great things, and Holy is His Name. 

(Luke 1:46-55)

My Favorite Tolkien Poem ~♥~

All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost

The old that is strong does not wither

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken

A light from the shadows shall spring

Renewed shall be the blade that was broken

The crownless shall again be king.

~♥~

I suppose someone might wonder why I love this poem.  First of all, it’s Tolkien, of course- the Christian literary genius who invented all kinds of crazy languages and imaginary worlds!  The first time I read The Hobbit, I was completely swept away by this dapper fellow with the pipe who puffed magical smoke rings, and I had to read everything else he wrote, even the lesser known stories such as Farmer Giles of Ham and The Smith of Wootton Major. 

But this particular poem is a favorite of mine for several reasons:  first, because it appears in one of the first letters from Gandalf to the hobbits in Bree, and also because it is a lovely metaphorical mixture of prophecy and wisdom.

Here are some of the little treasures hidden in it:  1)There are many things more precious than gold that the world doesn’t recognize, contrary to the words of Led Zeppelin’s song.  2) Some people appear to be wandering because they are just on a different path.  3) Withering is only a physical occurrence that doesn’t affect the soul.  4) When the roots of faith are deep, they are incorruptible and untouchable by the frost of desire or trouble.

Then in the second stanza is an illustrated prophecy about a crownless King who will return and bring light and renewal back from among the shadows.  Sounds like Jesus to me!

Light and Peace to Thee,

Sister Olive

~♥~

An Unexpected Journey

I am feeling a peculiar mixture of emotions as I prepare to depart for Spain-  happy and overwhelmed and apprehensive to name a few of them.

I feel like Bilbo Baggins after Gandalf and the unexpected party showed up at his door and summoned him for an adventure. There is a part of me that would just as soon stay safe and snug in my hobbit hole, and let brave-hearted folks go to faraway lands to meet a dark mysterious stranger (who just happens to be my father- there’s the rub).

It has dawned on me that I really don’t know my father…but I want to so much.  Please keep praying for me that I will “go out with joy and be led forth with peace.”

“Sister Olive”

Lost-and-Found Father

I have not been writing very much because I have had writer’s block, partially brought about by great anticipation.  I am preparing for one of the most meaningful events of my life:  I have been invited by my father to stay with him for three weeks in Mallorca, Spain! The most I have ever spent with my father is three days which we enjoyed in October of last year. I will be leaving in early May and will be gone for most of the month.

If you are interested in reading about the subject of my father, click on “PORTRAIT GALLERY” at the top of the page and read “Our Father Who Art in Spain.”  All who know me are aware of what it means to me to heal our relationship.  The absence of my father has affected every arena of my life, especially the closest relationships.

Marilyn Van Derbur, who wrote Miss America by Day said that the emotionally damaged person often functions quite well in career, school, and platonic relationships, but completely falls apart in romance and in marriage.  She writes that she was highly successful in her daily life, but at night in the privacy of her home she would fall apart like a little child. She says she wants to encourage others who have been betrayed by their parents in various ways:

I wrote the book, not because I want someone to learn more about me but so readers can learn more about themselves. And so that loved ones can better understand the brutal recovery process and never again say, “just get over it.”

Like many others, I sought my healing in God when people could not understand my battles. Please pray for me that I will always stay focused upon my first love, Jesus, who has protected and strengthened me throughout my life. Also, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers for traveling mercies as I embark upon a new journey of learning to know my earthly father.

While I am away, I would encourage you to read about Mallorca on two of my favorite blogs.  They are listed in my blogroll in the sidebar as “Mallorca Daily Photo Blog” and “Mallorca Observed” and they are by the same author.

I will post pictures and writings when I return and, if possible, during my time away.

Peace & Grace be with you,

Sister Olive

~♥~

Dear Jesus…

(From “The Iris Letters”)

Dear Saviour,

You have been on my mind a lot these days, especially since people think it’s cool to mock you and many seem to be walking away from you.  They have plenty of intellectual reasons that sound well thought out and logical, such as the fact that Your Father’s House is still a den of thieves, and Christians can be so hateful and judgmental.  I agree with most of their complaints, but have they forgotten about you, and all of your indiscriminate love and terrible suffering?

One fellow has a website with all of his reasons why he left you.  He writes that you never answered his prayers and didn’t make his life any better, and that it takes so much pressure off of him when he doesn’t have to convert anyone. He says he finds it so much easier to make friends if he doesn’t mention you.  He says he feels as if his whole walk of faith had been a criticism of other people and a source of tension.  I have read his “musings” which he should call “rantings” instead.

You haven’t made me rich or successful, and my family and friends have never understood the way I feel about you.  Even in Your own house, people don’t seem to care much about you or each other.  My life has always been a struggle and I have lots of issues, but I just can’t imagine life without you.  You are so beautiful to me, and I have adored you for most of my life.  I cannot give you up, no matter what anyone says.

I am beginning to understand how you felt when your friends all deserted you, and what it feels like to be alone and misunderstood.  But to experience your presence for even a moment makes it all worth it. When people complain about all of the problems with religion, I always ask them what they see wrong with you.  They can never give me an answer. I promised my heart to you one day many years ago, and I don’t care if no one understands what I see in you.

Even if you don’t give me the things I want and I don’t deserve you, and my friends and family don’t understand, I am so happy that you are mine and I am yours.  That is all that matters to me.

Love,

Olive

a treasured little note from a son…

i remember you defending me when people didn’t understand me, i remember recording your singing and drawing you art and you treating them like they were special, i remember you showing up to school trying to keep me from being bullied. i remember going to lighthouse park and climbing trees while you played tennis, i remember you buying me crystals and crushed pennies on our trips to north carolina.

~♥~

Fruit Trees on the Altar

(From “The Iris Diaries”)

Iris dreamed that Sister Sheilah was planting small fruit trees in the sanctuary.  When someone approached as she was working, she said, “the King has not arrived yet.” 

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 11:30)

~♥~