Keep Living Where God Is: Daily Encouragement From The Spiritual Writings of Henri Nouwen

I am a huge fan of the great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen. Both a Catholic priest and a university professor, Nouwen wrote many spiritual books such as Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer and the Return of The Prodigal Son, that have influenced so many over the years in their search for God and for meaning in their lives.

One of my favorite books by Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love, was actually written in the form of journal during one of the hardest periods of his life. During this difficult period when he struggled with self-esteem and faith in God, Nouwen wrote short paragraphs of encouragement to himself.

In the journal entry, “Keep Living Where God Is,” Nouwen speaks of putting aside your own agenda, your very own hopes and dreams, and consistently finding God in each moment. I find this section of the book extremely relevant for today’s culture and specifically in my own life.

I am someone who loves attention, maybe we can even say I crave it. Everyone wants to be liked and have a vast amount of approval, right? Who doesn’t want to get noticed for doing something special? Sometimes when I write my blog, and I’m sure that other blog-writers can attest to this as well, I get caught up in selfish thoughts that distract me from my main goals as a writer.

This blog, which is intended to inspire young adults in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and wherever you may happen to be, is not the John Bender show. The initial goal of this blog is to bring people closer to God, whether that is through promoting public events or sharing personal stories. It is only human nature that we get caught up in our own selfish ways. 

We, as a society, need to remember that everything that we do in life should be to honor and glorify God, and if the things we take on aren’t doing precisely that, then we might be doing more harm than good.

Let us always pray that we put our selfish ambitions second in comparison to giving God deserved glory and that we may do the work of the kingdom in drawing people closer to him through many unique avenues.