Friday, June 27, 2008

Dearest God,

Eternal dots continue to connect. You bring people together in ways no one else can or would.

After a beautiful day at Ghost Ranch, I drove back to where I was staying. Since my lodging is right on the highway with nothing around but hills and mountains (and beautiful at that), I decided to drive into town. And when I rose to the top of the hill I found seven buildings which is called a Plaza, the entire town. A church, an artist studio, four homes and a library.

I stepped inside the library, a tiny building consisting of 1 3/4 rooms. A Native American woman is the only librarian. We talked for a long time. She loves to read and is leading a reading program for children in the area. A somewhat poor area, she is giving incentives for kids to read, snacks of chips, cookies, lemonade. She is also offering prizes. The library is state funded.

I told her about the library in West Africa that our church is supporting and she was so interested. She gave me her card and told me she would like to do something for the library there. "Please let me know when they are ready for books. Maybe we could get several libraries together to help." I told her that we had been told that the greatest need is for books in the native language of Twi. "I want to do something to help." She told me and asked me to e-mail her.

I write this to you, Lord, not because you don't know but because I continue to be awestruck by the ways you draw people together. This earth is a communal family and it appears to me that you want your children to help one another, some very near and some very far away. A Native American in Abiquiu, New Mexico, an American in Indianapolis, Indiana and a West African in Ankaase, Ghana. How would the three of us be connected if it were not you making the connection?

I am overwhelmed by your goodness, by your genius, by your compassionate love. How is it that you stir the hearts of your children to help strangers in another part of the world? I can only conclude that we are all connected together and you choose who will come together in what way. And what happens is that as people do connect, faith comes to life, more faith bursts into the universe and goodness is borne.

I am touched, inspired, humbled by this gathering of three. And because this new librarian wants to do something, it is time for me to do something again. My own heart is challenged to do more.

Draw us together,
Lord,
draw us together.
Make us
one human family
of love, peace, and joy.
Draw us together,
Lord,
draw us together.
Teach us
to give
and to share
to unite
with each another.
Teach us
your ways.
Mould us
and make us
until love
gives away.
Teach us
to smile
and to hug,
to offer compassion.
Draw us together,
Lord,
draw us together.
Make us
a people
of peace,
an earth brimming
with hope,
peace and joy.

Loving you, Andrea