Rule of my life

So I subscribe to a list serve that is a discussion between Evangelicals (or former ones--:) ) and Orthodox Christians. One of the regular posters puts up a post called "A Word from the Desert" A few days ago...this was the post.

A brother went to see an anchorite and as he was
leaving said to him, "Forgive me, Abba, for having
taken you away from your rule." But the other answered
him, "My rule is to refresh you and to send you away
in peace."

And it dawned on me...if I wanted to make a rule (way to live) as direction for my life...it would be the same as this anchorite. In all my relationships...friends, family, work, acquaintances, whatever...I want my prayer to be..."Lord, let me refresh the people I come into contact with this day and send them away in peace."

It may not sound like much...but how many of us yearn for peace? How many people need to feel refreshed?


Clearly this is not a new problem. Nor a specifically Orthodox idea. :) The prayer of St. Francis speaks of it too..

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.

I thought at one point that it was something more Jesus spoke of on the mount when he said
"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God" But I am starting to think that the peacemakers are not those who stop wars, but those who strive daily to bring peace and refreshment to any weary and dry people they encounter.


So my prayer today is....

May God send you peace and refreshment this day. If you come into contact with me and need refreshing, may I be the spring where you can find to water a dry and weary soul. If peace is what you seek, and you encounter me, may God use me to help you find what you are searching for.