I’ve come to realize that there’s so much trash and refuse around my own back door that needs to be swept clean before I can get to that place where I can help others as God calls me to, not just because I feel guilty with all the riches I’ve beeen blessed with. To help others simply for the sake of helping others and at one’s own expense (or others) is like the woman who keeps taking in stray cats or rabbits until the house is overwhelmed with them - the intentions are all well and good, but how does it help in the grand scheme of things?

I guess it’s all about finding that elusive balance beween our sense of calling and how to live that calling out. Thomas Merton wrestled with it throughout his life and make a “living” writing about contemplation and solitude, and where they lie in terms of our relationship to God and the creation we share with the created in all forms.