And if you choose
To unravel my life
As though that I am nothing
But a tightly rolled ball
Of coarsest twine
Without pattern or color
It is all in your hands . . .
Yet, you may also choose to knit me lovingly
In bold and beautiful weave
The stitches may be loose
Or bound up tightly
In intricate impossibilities
For you are my maker, and I
But a ball of twine
In your hands
Do with me
As you wish
For I am yours
Forevermore
This minuscule spark
This insignificant flame
Please, Divine One, come
Ignite it with Your sacred breath
Let it dance ever higher
These dry and brittle bones
Seek to be rekindled
Into something warm and kind
This, my soul desire
To walk a path straight and true,
To be a blessed reflection
Of all I know of You
All that is decent,
All that is good
Forgive this flawed, imperfect creature
And if it be Your will,
Let me grow quietly in love
Light my way to You
Gate swinging in the wind
Discordant sound
Hinges needing oiling
Wind chimes
Music
A welcome sound
Isn’t life like that?
Discordant, sometimes
Irritating, sometimes
Merry, sometimes
Joyful, sometimes
But always good
Always
I thank you, God
For the wind
That brings movement
And change
Help me accept it all
The good and the not-so-good
And help me see the blessings
In both
Too often I go through my days oblivious
Heedless of the beauty in the blue skies above me
Insensible to the beauty of the life beneath my feet
Trapped in my head and unaware
Thinking but unthinking
Self absorbed and unobservant
Not noticing the small black dots
On the ladybug’s back
Or even the ladybug itself
Deaf to the songs of the birds overhead
Blind to the brilliant colors of the rainbow
Oblivious of all but my small concerns
Divine One, wake me now
Help me be fully present
To the miracle of life all about me
Set me free
From oblivion
“He was my first love,” she said with a faraway look in her eyes. The silence grew, lengthened, as I waited and wondered. Her fingers played with the delicate chain she wore around her neck. I thought she’d forgotten me.
She smiled a half-smile as she finally turned to me. “That was fifty years ago. He always held a special place deep in my heart,” she paused again, quiet, reflecting, still. Reliving a past I could not fathom and dare not intrude upon even if I could.
“Our parents said we were too young,” she continued, “too young to know what love is. But we knew, we both knew. I remember … It was such a tender love, almost, well, spiritual. We were so young, but we knew what love is,” her voice trailed off once again as she re-entered that distant past and tears glinted in her eyes.
And I, a fool, did not know what to say or what to do to comfort her. I, in turn, was much too young to understand. I had no knowledge of such love. It astounded and confounded me.
I was too young at that time. But now the years have tumbled by and I am now at that age that she was then. And still, I wonder at a love held close for so long. So long. A love that never died.
“And I think to myself, it’s a wonderful world.” This ballad written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss was recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967. It has been one of my favorite tunes, hands down. Songs of hope; songs celebrating life; songs that bring us back to days of our youth (misspent or otherwise) are such a joy and a blessing.
“God gave us memories that we might have roses in December” – author unknown. That is what music is to me and such a blessing too. And it really is such a wonderful world.
Yes, there are despotic rulers, egomaniacs and narcissistic, power-hungry leaders who don’t seem to know the meaning behind the ideas of good governance. Yes, there are horrible things being done to human beings around the globe. Yes, there are terrible diseases and natural (and not so natural) disasters. I do not deny the horrors in the world.
However, I choose to focus on the positive. The wonderful stories of people stepping up to help others; to help animals; to help the environment. “As within, so without,” as the saying goes.
Wherever you live on this bright blue marble and whatever you are doing, I hope you see the good in people and in this beautiful world of ours, and think to yourself, it’s a wonderful world.
Help me unclench my fists
Uncurl my fingers
Help me be open to receive Your blessings
Open my heart, my eyes, my ears
Close my mouth
Help me know in these dark but sacred moments
That You are here with me – always!
Sacred trust
That space where we find you
Waiting
Waiting for us to let go of fears
frustrations
And impatience
Trust
A blessed gift
That
Once opened
Releases
Goodness
Chases away
All shadows
And darkness
O God
Grant us the gift
Of unshakeable trust
And faith
Like a rock
Steady and strong
Grant us now
Sacred trust
Living in limbo
The answers yet to come
Anxiety holds sway
But for this moment only
For this I know:
Doubt may well be
Part and parcel of our humanity
Yet, hope will rise, again and again
A divine gift that buoys us up
In every storm
Weary soul, do not give up
Not yet, not now, not ever
Hope will sustain us
Let it rise
Let it fill every cell of your being
And let your worries fall away
It is week four now…time goes by so slowly.
Feeling weak and helpless
As I stand here by your side
Hoping, praying
Let healing come
Please, dear God, let healing come
For him
For me
For all the world I see
Struggling with brokenness
And still and all
I know that You
O divine Creator
Hold us still
In the palms of your hands
Though weak and small
You see us all
In our entire humanity
Please grant us strength
And courage too
To get us through these days
These hard and lonely days
These blessed days
When we are ground to bits
And all the pieces
Do not seem to fit
Yet your wisdom guides us on
Through the darkness
Through the fear
Through all anxiety
And crushed dreams
Waiting for our honest response
Waiting for a blessed ‘yes’
Through these days
When You seem far away
And silent
Yet even in the grasp of doubt
I believe
You are here by our side
Through these days
chopkins2x3 