Prayer for Today

Crying out in darkness and a reply.

I was sitting and reading when I heard a cat crying.  I was not sure where the cry was coming from so I searched it out.
It appeared Sam had been locked in the garage for some time and was crying out to be released
from his prison, his darkness.
When I opened the door, he was friendly, loving, purred all over me and wanted to be held.  This is so unlike him.

 

I started wondering, Am I like that? 
When I am released from my darkness, do I stay close to God?
Am I changed?  forever?

Most holy and living God,
In the darkness I cry out.
Not certain of being heard.
Yet I cry out.
I cry out in the prison I made,
In the darkness I entered, I cry out,
What I fear most, I have made myself.
When you hear me and let me out of my own prison,
I come close to you,
I stay by you,
Being held by you,
Gazing at you,
Knowing you are loving me.
Blessing me,
Giving me grace and mercy, 
Grace and mercy.
Thank you Lord,
This I pray, is my journey toward hope.
While I wait for my soul to catch up, my heart to heal.

Amen

Heading out

I hope to get out today and cycle around a little.  Making a few visits.

It might be fun.  Weather is beautiful, wish you were here....

I really have Jimmy on the brain.

Mardi Gras

Party like we are crazy, then at midnight, the party is over.  Do we turn into a pumpkin or something?  

I think we should all turn inward and tune in every day and see ourselves as what we are and what we could be.

Party like there is no tomorrow?  No.  Party for today,  but look toward the future.

Giving thank for what is

Gratitude takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God.
   - Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

Loving Creator,

I am moved today in the new light of your glory to be present.
To remember I am loved as your child.
I am held as your child that goes out and stumbles.
I am blessed that I can cry mercy and receive grace.
I am loved beyond belief.
For all of this, I give thanks.
Today is enough.
Today is a start.
The sun is rising to start a new day.
And I am still blessed.
Thank you.
Amen

Still pondering

I have a prayer group in a few minutes but have a headache and feel pretty bad.  

So do I go?

I think the quiet will do me good and give da wif space to work on homework.

Questions

I have questions about direction and then I get questions on direction.

I think I know what way to go, I try to go that way.

But when I am asked for by other people what way they should be going, I freeze.

The question in my humble opinion is rhetorical.  I can only advise but one needs to figure it out for themselves.

I will always be seeking.  That is in my nature.

The bigger question is what to do when I find the answer?

Hope

Holding out for hope.

Psalm 130 V7

 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
   and with him is great power to redeem. 

 Great and loving God,

It is I again.
Hoping for a change and redemption,
Singing a new song this morning.
Hoping that I can make a change in the world.
I pray for some change and you make it happen.
I go out into the workd today with your steadfast love.
Knowing that even I can be redeemed in your eyes.
With this I am thankful. 
Ever grateful for your mercy.
Amen

A leaf

A leaf does not fall off, it just lets go.  (Mary Chapin Carpenter)

 

God,

What is it that I am not willing to let go of?

What keeps me connected to what was?

Not willing to see what is.

I pray that I can let go and enjoy the weightlessness of the air as I float from what is to what is.

I may not understand the tree but know I was a part of it.

I now I need to let go of so much but fear is what keeps me hanging on.

 

Lord,

Release me from my fear of the unknown and let me grow and change.

From what is to what will be.

I have it in me.  I just need to allow it to happen.

I give it all to you.

Because it is too big for me.

In the name of Jesus I pray.

Amen

A Spark

God of the seeker,

You gave me a promise.

A promise is a bright spark that has not been born.

It is a longing to hope that we all have.

It is that one most desired warmth we seek.

A promise of always being with me.

Even in the valley of darkness.

I find the spark.

 

When nothing seems to be going right

There is a spark of inspiration.

 

When my way has never seemed clearer.

A spark is with me.

I thank you for always being with me.

Pushing, pulling, rolling, carrying, nudging getting me going again

Because I am always your child.

Amen

Vacare Deo

I read these words yesterday morning.  Then I heard them again.
Someone talking to me??

Vacare Deo.   ---   Making space for God.

Lord,
In these days filled with too much stuff,

Bring me back to center.

The promise that is filled with hope.

The quiet of the morning at dawn.(Sorry for you non-morning people)

Where the world starts again.

The evening where we find rest.

A room where we can be alone.

All of these spaces are big enough for one

but are calling us to make more space.

Space inside ourselves where we can be honest.

Where we can laugh, cry, ponder.

Where we can be honest and say what we feel.

God is waiting for us there.

I need to make room.

I need to make time.

I need to make space

God does.

Amen

Unmovable object

God,

What is unmovable in your eyes?

Can the earth stand against you?

Or is it set in motion like the sun, moon, stars and tides are?

Does everything not move or move?

What comes in the way to put things in motion?

 

I see it as love.

Love is what moves all.

Love is the reason for so much.

Love moves the sun, the stars. 

It set the tides in motion.

It wears down mountains.

It is born in small places.

It grows to be as big as the redwoods.

It is like the wind blowing on the sea.

It is what awakens me to the new day.

With the light and love that is given for me.

It is enough for me.

 

Thanks be to you, Holy One.

Amen

Understand

Lord,

How come I can understand how magnetic lines of flux travel in open air,

yet I can look at a person and not understand what motivates them?

How can I sit and watch snow fall, knowing all the flakes are different

But curse the effects of the slippery road I am traveling?

Lord

I think I understand so much but really understand so little.

The world is so big and I am so small but want and wish for more understanding of things.

I pray for acceptance I what I have learned and seek to understand what my wanderings teach me.

I wish for it to be easy but know it will never be easy.

Life is not easy.

Life happens.

I deal with it.

I thank you for what I have learned and how I learned to deal with life.

I think I understand some of you.

I will never know the answers until one day.

But that one day will be filled with no more questions.

But awe.

Thanks be!

Amen

Pilgrim

Pilgrim.

 

We are all on a journey.

The paths and trails we follow to try to find what we are seeking.

The paths and trails are trials of ourselves

We follow these paths and trails to the sea and ask;

Where is the boat so that we can cross this blue expanse?

 

Somewhere a voice says to us, “build it.”  So we built it and cross the sea.

 

We follow these paths and trails to a deep crevice and stop.

We look over and see the other side and think our journey is at an end.

But we seek to find ways to the other side.

We traverse the trail and path down so can face our fear of the darkness at the bottom.

We slog back up the other side and start on the journey again.

 

We come to another crossing.

A major raging river that no boat can cross.

This river is full of our fears.

The things that scare us.

We stop and ask now what.

Where is the bridge so that we can cross to continue on our journey?

A voice will say to us, “build it.”

“With what?”  We will ask.

 

“It has been provided, you have enough,” is what we hear.

We start to wonder what has been provided.

We stop and let our feelings come over us.

 

We don’t know what to do.

We don’t know where to turn.

We drop to our knees and sob.

A hand reaches out to us and says,

 

You have been provided enough.

Turn around and look.

Your trials along these paths and trails are filled with the blessings you have left.

Look at the faces of those behind you.

 

All along the paths are the flowers that we have left littered by the ones we have touched.

Your path pilgrim is not complete. 

There are more flowers to be left and people to touch.

Our journey is still on.

Pilgrim.  You have enough.

Just ask for help.