Friday, October 29, 2010

My dearest God,

You gave him a 75th birthday when he thought he would not live beyond his 30's. Several men in my husband's family died before they were 40 so he thought he would follow that pattern. But like other times you had a different plan.

My husband is a gift, a little nutty, witty and doesn't always live by the rules, but he is a gift to those who love him. He has a marvelous sense of history and wishes he could do more to bend history for good.

I remember throwing a surprise party for him when he was fifty and sixty. But I could not have planned to give him what he received when he turned 70. We were on my clergy renewal leave in Rome when we heard there would be a special service at St. Peter's in Vatican Square. Two saints were to be canonized and we wanted to celebrate the joyous occasion so even without tickets we went to church.

The service was a high, holy worship with a procession of regal colors, pictures of the saints held up for all to see. The music was divine in the middle of all the magnificent statues, paintings, even the pietra, Mother Mary holding the broken Christ after being taken down from the cross. Although we could not understand the Italian language used during the service, your spirit spoke mightily to us. At the end of the service the pope stood to give a papal blessing to all who had attended. We stood bowing our heads as Pope Benedict, in apostolic succession since the time of Peter, the disciple, blessed us. Harold was deeply moved by the special gift on his birthday.

As we quietly celebrated his birthday today, we gave you praise and thanksgiving.

Your ways
are not
our ways,
O God;
we do
not think
as you do.
We do
not exhibit trust
in every way.
We fail
to receive
the blessings
that come
when utter trust
is given
to you.
We thank you
for your will
and your
divine plan.

Love, Andrea