4 Comments
User's avatar
Gill Kimber's avatar

Love these reflections: you turn the idea around so that the light catches so many facets. I learnt to find God's absences and silences in the image of a stream in the desert. When it's there in my spirit, the stream of the Holy Spirit, then all's fine and dandy. But then one day I saw a stream disappear into the ground, and not emerge for many miles. And I understood that even when I felt nothing and God was silent, he was still at work in my life, in ways deeper than consciousness.

Expand full comment
Maryann Hobbie's avatar

Once again - you’re writing takes my breath away, or perhaps just helps me with my own silences, my own rather temper tantrums without a temper because God is not delivering because I don’t hear anything when God says God is telling me what to do. I’ve just discovered your writing and I thank you so so much for everything you’re saying. It’s so important. I don’t even know your whole name yet. I don’t know if it’s Rev. Margaret or whatever but thank you thank you thank you. Forgive me I don’t mean to be disrespectful about your name, but I just see it come up as Margaret – THO and I open it right up and start reading. Have a blessed day although, you may be sleeping now because of the time difference. Keep writing, keep praying. I was.

I was told when I fell to my knees 40 something years ago when I was about to have an all out binge, I’ve always said to me my child, I have called you to be a vessel of my love, and an instrument of my peace. that became the guiding force of my life, only I was arrogant enough to say well what do you want me to do? What does this mean?

Today many decades later many journeys many chapters and I still have to say I don’t get it but help me.

PS – I dictate because sometimes my fingers don’t work and I don’t read back so hopefully you’re not too disturbed by the grammar errors and, I hope I have not a word has not been misconstrued.

Expand full comment
Br. Andrew-Thomas's avatar

Glad to have you here. I'm Brother Margaret-Thomas!

Expand full comment
Rev. Dr. Beth Krajewski's avatar

Thank you for this. I sometimes resist the idea of 'waiting' for God to 'do something,' preferring to attend to the idea that God is still present, if silently so. But your reference to Job, and God not responding for 38 chapters, has undone me! God's time is simply not our time, and sometimes Presence feels much more like absence, and then we wait.

Expand full comment