Introductory Note:

Do you ever look for old photographs or postcards in antique or thrift shops? It’s so fun to while away a rainy afternoon just looking into strangers faces or reading their words of greetings to friends and trying to guess at the stories behind them.

This short letter of encouragement from Fénelon comes down to us in much the same way. It is unknown to whom this letter was written, but it is clear that he or she has suffered some disillusionment or disappointment, and Fénelon reaches out with a tender heart. In puzzling out the story behind it, though, let’s not pass over his rich words of solace, comfort, and peace.

What treasure might these words hold for us?

Renovaré Team

Excerpt from The Seeking Heart

I know that God will keep you. Although you do not enjoy spir­i­tu­al dis­ci­pline, be faith­ful to seek­ing God as much as your health will per­mit. I real­ize that eat­ing, both phys­i­cal­ly and spir­i­tu­al­ly, does not appeal to you now. Still, you must eat to survive.

It would be good for you if you could have a few min­utes of fel­low­ship with those mem­bers of your fam­i­ly that you can con­fide in. As to whom you should talk with — be guid­ed by your inner sense of what is right at each moment. God does not lead you with extreme emo­tion, and for this I am glad. Remain faith­ful to the still, small voice.

Strong emo­tions and deep feel­ings, or seek­ing after signs can be more dan­ger­ous than help­ful. Your imag­i­na­tion is sure to run away with you. God will lead you, almost with­out your know­ing it, if you will be faith­ful to come before Him qui­et­ly. Eat of Him and His word. Love Him and I will tell you to do no more. For if you love Him, every­thing else will work out. I am not ask­ing you for a ten­der and emo­tion­al love, but sim­ply that you lean toward love. Put God before your­self and the world and even your evil desires will begin to be transformed.

Qui­et Lead­ing” from The Seek­ing Heart, (Jack­sonville, FL: Seed­sow­ers, 1992).

Pho­to via By Aus­tralian Nation­al Mar­itime Muse­um on The Com­mons — https://​www​.flickr​.com/​p​h​o​t​o​s​/​a​n​m​m​_​t​h​e​c​o​m​m​o​n​s​/​7793066058/, No restric­tions, https://​com​mons​.wiki​me​dia​.org/…

📚 The 2022 – 23 Ren­o­varé Book Club

This year’s nine-month, soul-shap­ing jour­ney fea­tures four books, old and new, prayer­ful­ly curat­ed by Ren­o­varé. Now under­way and there’s still time to join.

View Selections & Learn More >