Guest Epistle to the Distracted

GUEST POST: Lisa Hubbell wrote the following epistle at the spring 2006 Christian Friends Conference gathering, at which Krista Barnard did a presentation on the Epistles, and suggested participants write their own. (I'm registered for Krista's FGC Gathering workshop, Finding ourselves in the Bible. I definitely "found myself" in Lisa's epistle.) Thanks to Lisa for her permission to reprint here.

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Epistle to the Distracted
(Lisa Hubbell, 3/25/06)

Dear one:

You're not yourself lately.
I don't see the joy of the Spirit filling you up and overflowing
as it once did.

Slow down.
Take the time to drink and be refreshed at God's well,
instead of filling your body and your mind and your heart and your time
with distractions that do nothing to bring you closer to God.

Stop.
Breathe.
Remember.

Don't you know that God is always with you, always available?
Well, yes, you can say you know that.
But how often do you really feel God's presence,
really let God in,
really open yourself to letting God work on you, heal you, change you?

I know that you're afraid, that you're holding back tears,
that you sometimes feel like you're on the brink of falling apart.
Dear one, there is nothing wrong with that.
It may be the best place you could possibly be —
so close to falling into God's arms, if you would only let yourself go.

Dear one, God is calling you.
And there is joy in the surrender.
It is only your own stubborn choice
that ever leaves you carrying any burden alone.
God is standing at the door, knocking.

Listen.
Rise.
Answer.