Friday, August 1, 2008

Dearest God,

Looking through the lens of exhaustion can lead me to see things differently. When I'm feeling good, Lord, I see beauty around me. When I'm tired, things don't look the same. I don't react the usual way. I feel sluggish, worn out and the world appears as something I have to contend with rather than embrace.

I recognize that life is not predictable. Today will not be the same as yesterday. Each day is unique, a gift even if it brings challenge. The day is not determined by my view of it. It is still a gift whether I am weary and worn or full of energy. What you are teaching me is that beauty can still come from an otherwise dismal day. That higher level of consciousness can lead me to you because seeing spiritual beauty in the ordinary is an even greater level and quality of life.

When I trust in you, when I turn to you at moments when my energy is low, you show me what I couldn't see on my own. The scales of weariness fall from my eyes and I am enabled to see life at its finest. Then you give me a respect and appreciation for what is around me. And suddenly I realize once again that my ability to see is not predicated on how I feel. I begin to trust that there is always something more. So I take out my investigative tools and lo and behold, I discover your hand at work.

Wondrous and Ever-Beautiful God,
so often
I fail
to see your beauty
around me.
I lean into
my own weariness
and I am blocked
to see
what awaits me.
I react
rather than respond
to the goodness
of it all.
Forgive me,
I pray.
For I desire
to see
the noteworthy
in everything.

In gratitude, Andrea