Blog
Fall
I adore Fall!Listen in….
Twenty years ago I discovered a wee, 2″ x 3″ and 1/2″ thick book in an antique store. Today that book, Week-day Prayers, is among my most precious possessions. Written by Christian Reisner, his prayer offerings are short yet richly infused with meaning. Listen in…
O Thou Tender Shepherd, straighten all our paths today. Save us from the hesitation of doubt. Make us considerate of others’ feelings. Soften the sharp words that threaten to slip off our tongues. Sweeten our deeds with kindness. Teach us how, like our Lord, to endure wrong in silence. Ballast us with love. Direct our aims. Steady our hearts. Plant right loves. Employ our good impulses. Give direction to enthusiasm. Spur us to our best. Bring us to the end with our assigned tasks well done.
May I suggest you now reread this prayer, pausing after each sentence. Then read it aloud and notice what phrases stick to your soul. Words that give us pause are often a window to our needs. Sticky words can open skylights of understanding.
Enjoy the Quiet…
As I grow older, I notice that I seek the shelter of silence more and more. In years gone by I would flip on the television or music when I was alone. But now, given the option, I turn off everything. It allows the quiet to settle inside my ruffled places, inside the voices of the day and hushes them. I need the quiet to balance the frenetic in my life. I need the quiet to discern Christ’s voice from all of the others.
Sometimes Christ’s voice to me is a waterfall, and I couldn’t miss it on the freeway during rush hour, but usually it’s a soft rain, a gentle breeze, or even a whisper and I must lean in to hear.
The quiet gives me opportunity to sort myself out in God’s presence. Thats when I stop any pretending and excusing. The stillness gives me space for confession and petitions. I open the stained glass window of my soul. My heart finds centeredness in God’s grace.
