– meaning: more than one melodic voice. Poliphony was there at the dawn of the idea for a blog which would show the snapshots from living by faith.

So you’ll find here many voices, different perspectives and instead of “the” author – many authors. One faith, but diverse ways in which we discover, experience and share it. All this  to turn “a blog” – yes, that simple and popular form of writing – into the place of an encounter and exchange. Into the communion of authors, readers and those who work hard translating and proofreading. A hospitable place and not totally virtual.

From now on, in the “Harbour” there will be a special place for the boats of our Guests to moor at. Our first Guest, Joseph, lives at the distance of 7 thousand kilometers from Poland, in the country, where Christians account for no more than 3-5% of the population. We’re very happy he wrote a few lines to share at the “Harbour”. We’re honoured to welcome India.

That’s it. How to take care of our love? Among other ways, by taking care of the time for us. But how is it possible to find that time, if you leave for work at dawn and come back home at dusk? Of course, you are left with the proverbial „5 minutes” in the evening. Unfortunately, after a day that leaves you exhausted and seeking for a fast way to unwind, those 5 minutes are easily – almost automatically – wasted.

And yet I’ve found a way. I started to protect the time for my beloved wife in my heart. It is enough if you direct your thoughts – in the middle of the hustle and bustle – to that person. Even though she’s at some physical distance, she’s also close to your heart. What would all this mean, all our work, efforts, confronting challenges, if we weren’t given the chance to be received by the arms waiting there for us? And those returns home are totally different, if you let yourself “feel” your mutual love, and become conscious of it for a couple of seconds during the day. Such “mental text message” will be received by your wife. Especially if you add your smile, kind word and gesture when you come home. Then it turns out that those 5 minutes that you’re left with at the end of another hard day are far more difficult to waste.

Out of those text messages and unwasted 5 minutes a day, I get, in turn, the strength to save maybe one whole evening a week, or maybe one day a month… that we may have just for us, to nurture our love.

Michał

I’ve been down with fever. All I can do is stay in bed in our little son’s room, which serves as an isolation ward whenever a patient needs it. From that bed you can see a large mirror on the wardrobe door, which reflects the window. Aside from the dirty window panes, described earlier, I can contemplate the clouds moving on the blue spring sky.  I’ve been watching this motion picture as if it was a most interesting broadcast. That reminds me of the cartoon by Michael Leunig which I found the other day on FB.

If sky-watching is so beneficial, how about looking up to heaven? How much can be gained by the simple “inactivity” of prayer?

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him (Isaiah 53:2)

My husband, children and friends do not always show “beauty or majesty”. And sometimes I don’t find it easy at all to look at them and to be with them, especially when they are annoyed or “difficult” in any other way. But this is then, and probably mostly then, when I can put to test my love for them.

Am I able to find within the mercy and courage that Veronica had? To offer the gestures of kindness, that favourable look that goes beyond my daunting impression about the other person’s behaviour?

Am I ready to welcome the other in his/her suffering? Or do I stay entrapped in my own fear, resentment, sense of helplessness or discouragement?

The test may come out better or worse, but I’m sure love should not be missing from the ways of the cross.

Basia

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him” (Jeremiah 17:7)

If you entrust your needs and expectations to the Lord, He will satisfy them all in His own perfect way.

The need for self-esteem and recognition? – “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine!” (Isaiah 43:1)

The need for safety? – “The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand” (Psalm 121:5)

For being understood? – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)

For strength? – “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13)

And finally:

Love? “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 17:7)

Dosia

The day starts with a phone call from some Internet company.

– I’m not interested – I reply.

– But why, it really won’t take…

– No, thank you.

 A moment later I find a leaflet about some courses in our post box. Time flies, I’ve got to hurry to work. And there I am greeted by a loan offer from a very insistent bank. As I take care of my customers, I’m being nagged – also on the phone – by a mobile Internet provider. Time passes by very quickly, as usual. I manage to refuse to buy surgical suture. Then I tidy up my mailbox by deleting adverts of watches, pills the name of which I shall leave unsaid, and women’s underwear. I’m ready to go home.

 One leaflet is waiting stuck on the gate, the second one – on the ground and the third one in the post box. They all enable me to go through the shelves of hypermarkets in the vicinity. Quite upset with this obvious anti-ecological attitude, I enter the house, and what do I find on the shoe cupboard? A leaflet, of course! Meaning: the kids managed to collect some of the papers from the path in front of our house. This time I learn how to get a really quick loan and a quick pizza delivery.

I’m enjoying the hearth and home. We’re just having supper together when someone rings:

– Excuse me, am I talking to the owner of the phone line?

– Thank you very much.

– But why, you haven’t even listened…

– I am really not interested, thank you very much.

I think the Reader may imagine the feelings that overwhelm me as I start bathing our playful kids. Afterwards, I hope to have some time to sit together with my wife, when:

– Good evening, I would like to invite you for a presentation of our excellent bedding…

And He is waiting. In each minute of the day, He wants to meet me. But He does not intrude himself on. He is waiting patiently, because He loves me. And He’s not mercenary.

Michał

…you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.

Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Address, 2005

The dots I make each day may temporary fail to show one clear picture.

I discover, though, that a lot of things have happened to me “for some purpose”. They might have been difficult and unintelligible then, the moment they were happening, but they’ve left me with some gift. They turned out to be some added value. Through them, I was given some talent, knowledge, skill.

When I feel discouraged, I may be saying: my picture makes no sense. My dots of this day moved behind the margin of the master plan. And there’s absolutely no point for those few that have been here for so many years.

But it would be pointless to get discouraged. The One, who can see more than me, will show me one day the picture that will dazzle me with the logic of His love. The picture of my life.

So even if I’m not able to get the whole picture, I decide to keep on making dots of my best everyday choices. And command myself to Him with this trust that He’ll fill in all the missing and deficient parts of the picture.

Małgosia

Seek good, not evil, that you may live. (Am 5:14)

Seek, protect, support and strengthen GOOD – in my spouse and in me.

DoesN’T  that sound like the prescription rooted in His Word to help “my love NOT to burn out”?

Basia

a wife told her husband.

Does it really work that way? Can love burn out?

The education making me ready to start work lasts from 12 to 19 years (if you add postgraduate studies).

Getting a certificate in a foreign language – requires 600-650 h.

Driving lessons – about 60 h.

How much did it take you to get ready for marriage? Marriage preparation course?

Is that enough?

What else can you do in that field? How to translate your knowledge into competence?

A feeling may burn out, but love never does!!!

You just need to know where to look for love. How to take care of it! How to nurture it.

Fr Jay

“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45

It’s good that God’s sense of justice is so completely different from the human version of it, because we’re always given another chance – despite our weaknesses and failures.

So let’s be grateful for God’s mercy, for His love, which accepts us as we are. His love comes always before everything else; it heals, liberates and changes the old into the new.

Dosia