“Holiness is not a luxury for the few. It is not just for some people. It is meant for you and for me … It is a simple duty, because if we learn to love, we learn to be holy.” Mother Teresa

Before I wrote anymore about holiness, I knew I needed to clarify the weightiness of the Holy Spirit. If not for Him, we have no chance at healing, happiness, and holiness. I’m comfortable with the boldness of this statement because of the number of experiences and years I’ve tried hard and failed, and the number of times I’ve asked for His help and it’s turned out well. 

This chapter likely should be at the beginning of the book. However, I had to acknowledge that making it this far into writing a book had everything to do with His help. I admit it even though I also admit I still want most of the credit. I’m not just saying this to sound humble and holy. I want credit now as much as I’ve ever wanted it even though, on my own, I only completed three bad chapters in 10 years.

The progress happened once I acknowledged I couldn’t write right without Him. 

If I had read and studied the important book, The Holy Bible, instead of skimming and skipping over parts, maybe it would have dawned on me how much I needed the Holy Spirit’s help just like Jesus needed it. His baptism was recorded in Mark 1:9-11,  “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”

For years, I read this like “yada, yada, yada” until I tried hard, reached the end of myself, and didn’t know what else to do except ask for His help. By the time I got to that point, I was actually begging.

If I’d come across Mother Teresa’s quote any other time than now, while writing this book, I would have dismissed it. Even though she said, “You, yes, you …,” I would have scrolled away and hoped she meant someone else. I couldn’t imagine sitting still on a mountaintop while chanting nor feeding starving children overseas, which is how I envisioned holiness.  

Writing about holiness now makes me want to shake you and tell you the same thing Mother Teresa said … we all need holiness and it doesn’t have to be a hard fought for thing. 

Or a mountaintop thing.

Or an overseas thing.

Believe it or not, God loves us even when the things we go through don’t look or feel like we think Love should look and feel like. 

He wants what is best for us even when we don’t recognize “best.” 

God put us together with a need for the Holy Spirit and for holiness so we’ll seek Him. That’s Love and it’s what is best. And … as a result of trying hard, failing, and depending on Him, we come into our holiness.

In This Together,
Kim

FYI: I’m blogging my book titled On The Other Side of Trying Hard: Healing, Happiness, and Holiness. Because the blog posts will eventually be an entire manuscript instead of stand-alone stories, some posts may leave you hanging. I hope you’ll hang in here with us anyway ‘cause a happy ending is coming. Each blog post title includes the chapter title first. The phrase in parentheses is one subheading within the chapter. I’d love to hear your reflections, questions, and suggestions. I’m over-the-top grateful you’re here.