on Inward weakness

to John Woolman–about the conclusion of Chapter VII:

I’ve been learning for quite some years (It’s not an easy lesson for me.) to accept and treasure the understanding that my own efforts and strengths are minute next to what God can do in a situation.

The poverty of spirit and inward weakness, with which I was much tried the fore part of this journey, has of late appeared to me a dispensation of kindness.  ………..I was led into a deep search, whether in all things my mind was resigned to the will of God; often querying with myself what should be the cause of such inward poverty, and greatly desiring that no secret reserve in my heart might hinder my access to the Divine fountain. In these humbling times I was made watchful, and excited to attend to the secret movings of the heavenly principle in my mind, which prepared the way to some duties that in more easy and prosperous times as to the outward, I believe I should have been in danger of omitting.

          Journal of John Woolman

It’s a reassurance that you’ve found that same experience worth making the underlying theme of this chapter.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 05:55 and is filed under Conversations with Remarkable Friends, Keeping low. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.