I’m wiggling this quote out of the context in which it was originally written for my own purposes, just so you know.

Frederick Buechner wrote this line in a piece titled “Healing” as advice to the one who prays for another to be healed, whether it is in body or soul or both.

Like all writing we read, we scrape out bits that help us tell the stories of our own lives.

“Think of yourself rather (if you have to think of yourself at all) as a rather small-gauge, clogged-up pipe that a little of God’s power may be able to filter through if you can just stay loose enough.”

First of all, being unselfconscious, as I see it, is a struggle.  Even when I think I’m honestly putting myself out there for the sake of another person or cause, I’m still putting myself out for all to see, don’t you see?  Those continuous conversations, wonderings and to be honest—stories I create in my mind are based on my assumptions that are rarely filled with truth.  Clog.

Stay loose enough?  Letting go, being attentive to the moment occur fleetingly in my clogged mind; but even small moments make break-throughs possible.  Open up even enough to let God’s power filter through.  And…

“if God doesn’t seem to be giving you what you ask, maybe he’s giving you something else.”