There were several drafts with quotes or ideas that I want to do more pondering or research on, but I had left to collecting digital dust on this blog.  So I’ve decided to throw them all together in a brief, non-connected post.  Hopefully one of them connects with you, or causes you to do some pondering as well.

A morning prayer awhile back included the following:

You lift the lowly and humble the proud : to feed us together at Your table.

For me, it is easy to think of one or the other in this, and similar statements. God lifts up the lowly. Humility marks a Christ-follower.  And when we / I get proud and overly independent, that is the most common time to trip. It is hard to learn, to love, to connect when I am prideful.

The beautiful truth spoken here is that the raising up and the humbling, yes, brings us closer to God.  But also it brings us closer to each other. We are brought to a level place at THE table. Sharing a meal, looking in each other’s eyes, existing together.

(Which reminds me of a song by Josh Garrels)

In a seminar for grad students today on surviving grad school, the professor suggested that we should remember that the fellow grad students in our cohort are our competitors. No. Don’t do that. Cultivate friendships, support each other, commiserate w/ and cheer for each other.

“self care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.”