Sunday, November 25, 2012

Dearest God,

He stands as a silent witness in my contemplative garden.  Regularly I look out to gaze upon him remembering the gifts he imparted as he let his faith lead him.  At his feet are "shiny rocks", symbols of prayers prayed by grandchildren.  St. Francis reminds me of a simple faith, a quiet trust, and a devotion to follow and to lead and to follow and to lead.  Whether I am pondering, celebrating, questioning, or doubting, I find comfort in this symbol of faith.

I am grateful for the signs of faith that are all about me.  Each one redirects me to consider whose world this is.  It also helps me to pause and look at life in the context of faith.  What I see on the surface may not be all that there is.  What I have learned is there is always more than what I see superficially.  As I allow the symbols to draw me closer, I am enabled and empowered to remember the depths to which you go to speak to your children.  As I journey downward and move beyond the simple distractions of life, I find you waiting to challenge or to give a word that will offer me a new opportunity to grow, to be transformed, or to renewed in some way or another.

Today especially I give thanks.

O Lord,
my God,
how grateful
I am
to be
your child.
Let the signs
of your
living presence
speak to me
now and forever,
I pray.

Love, Andrea