Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Dearest God,

Sharing a common burden, each person taking a piece and also giving a piece of hope, encouragement and presence is a gift of heaven. Expecting to walk life's journey alone quite naturally isolates. The world grows small and smaller and smaller until one finds one's self in a trapped box living alone, fearing alone, struggling alone. Hope quickly decays. Faith becomes fragile and thin. Joy dissolves. Mercy is elusive.

But sharing together as an equal circle of friends and/or family, each carrying their weight, sharing their woes, celebrating their victories, challenging one another in matters of faith can relieve the intricate parts of the human soul. It's like raising the blind at first light, like a butterfly climbing out of its cocoon or a chicken pecking at its shell and taking its first step. Even like a rainbow suddenly appearing in a rainy sky when the sun intersects with the rain. It's truly a quiet, glorious moment. Life looks different. New perspectives emerge. Heavy hearts are lightened.

Surely this is your design. You have given us one another. You have made a sense of community better than an individual living life solo. You have created us for each other. Giving and taking in equal proportion provides a balanced life; it makes life easier and really a beautiful fabric. The threads of my life are beautiful because you made them this way, however when my thread combines with the threads of those around me, the fabric is not only beautiful, it is exquisite. The thread of your presence is more visibly present; the golden thread shines with a beauty not available in the human realm. Undoubtedly this is all part of the sacred mystery.

Weave us together,
Grand Designer,
give us
a peek
of your
heavenly design.
Teach us
to reach out
and to grab
the hands
that are
reaching out
to us,
I pray.

Love, Andrea