Availability: The Challenge and the Gift of Being PresentFor almost thirty years, Availability has been a trusted guide for cultivating openness and being present to God, self, and others. In this new edition, Robert Wicks describes availability as a challenging but spiritually rewarding way to live a more balanced life. Drawing insights from his spiritual mentors Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton, Wicks shows how freely entering into the turmoil and joy of other people's lives can lead to deeper self-knowledge and a powerful encounter with Christ. In this simple, accessible book written in his characteristic warm and direct style, Wicks shows how self-awareness, compassion for others, and prayer are but different turns on the same road of finding and living the Truth. Wicks looks at the three dimensions of spirituality through the lens of availability. Looking first at self-awareness, he offers brief chapters on forgiveness, clarity, and the uniqueness of each person. In part two, he examines availability to others as a twofold challenge: negotiating the difficulties inherent in relationships and entering into others' pain. In part three, Wicks explores availability to God, focusing on letting go and experiencing him. |
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able achieve actions anxieties anxious appreciation Asceticism attitude availability to ourselves avoid aware become behavior believe Burnout challenge Christ clarity Cloud of Unknowing commitment compassionate continue courage daugh David Steindl-Rast defenses discipline distractions doesn’t effort expectations experience eyes face ourselves FAILURE AND FORGIVENESS faith false fear feel Genesee Diary gift give goal God’s healing healthy hearts Henri J. M. Nouwen Henri Nouwen interpersonal Jesus Karl Rahner Kenneth Leech let go light Little Drummer Girl lives look Lord Martin Buber ministry ness pain Paulist Press person perspective possible presence problem psychological QUESTION FOR REFLECTION reality realize recognize relationship riences running SACRED SCRIPTURE seek SELECTION FROM SACRED self-esteem sense solitude someone Sorin Books spiritual Steindl-Rast style of dealing Teresa of Avila theology of hope things Thomas Hora trust understand W. H. Auden words