Lord, why would anyone beg a miracle worker to “leave their district”? But don’t I do the same when I push you away? The people of the territory of Gerasenes were “seized with fear” when they saw how changed the possessed man became.
I too am afraid of the transformation I would need to make if I truly accepted you into my life. I would rather spend my days and nights among the tombs and wandering the hillsides, than to allow you to lead me into unfamiliar territory. I wonder what I would do with my hands if I were to ever to let go of the stones I use to bruise myself—the need to be admired, the endless unnecessary worry, the self-righteousness.
Lord, help me to welcome you into my life. Help me be unafraid to proclaim all you have done for me.
—Peg Anderson, a partner in Chicago’s Fox Swibel law firm, is on the board of the Ignatian Spirituality Project.