Friday Prayer, December 15, 2017

susanne-photo-29
Photo by Susanne Moorman Rowe

We are half-way through December and I wonder how your heart is faring. Winter’s taken a dramatic dive into colder temps and snow (at least in Chicagoland), and I think our inner soul landscape often feels the effect of that. The stretching hours of darkness and frigidity the earth now endures reminds me we often face the same in our hearts.

Perseverance in such conditions can be hard when we might find ourselves overwhelmed or stressed in preparing for the “happiest time of year.” If you’re feeling this way, you might read a prayer of mine from December last year.

I think about Mary and Joseph making their own journey toward Bethlehem. I’m sure it required every ounce of trust and perseverance they had. I bet that each day, they had to freshly overcome their fear and questions about what awaited them upon arrival. Their trust in God’s promise had to be bigger than the swirling apprehension or flat-out exhaustion (Mary was very pregnant!).

So, I pray you are encouraged today, my friends, as you walk a path that might be taking all scraps of strength you’ve got left. Keep your eyes on the star.

 

***

Warm, enveloping One,

You gather me in when

the wind of anxiety and fear whips,

when I feel my face, my heart,

tighten against the cold’s force.

 

With wide, warm arms,

you bring me into your heart

where my angst melts by

the fire of your love.

 

And it is there, as I rest and thaw

that you remind me…

 

Remind me of the unbelievable power in perseverance,

the choice to open my eyes each morning and say,

Yes, I will keep going.

And I will find joy here

and grace

and I will live with courage even when I’m uncomfortable

in this brutal winter.

 

As my brittle fears drip to my feet,

you let my real self come through.

A self you love so much…

 

My path toward transformation comes through acceptance,

through affirming that I will be

gentle and forgiving toward myself

because that’s how you are with me.

I will lean with all my weight into your ‘enoughness.’

Into the warmth I feel here.

My solace and strength in life’s winter.

 

Amen.

2 Comments

  1. Thanks for your special words—-you have a gift of sharing those special thoughts—I just read an old sermon from Robert H. Schuller, LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT PRAYER, and also his spiritual autobiography on Prayer. He uses Jeremiah 33:3 which Dr. Peale also referred to as God’s telephone number. Gratefully, Gene

    On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 5:07 AM, Ash and Starlight wrote:

    > ariannelehn posted: ” We are half-way through December and I wonder how > your heart is faring. Winter’s taken a dramatic dive into colder temps and > snow (at least in Chicagoland), and I think our inner soul landscape often > feels the effect of that. The stretching hours of dar” >

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