Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Dear God,

You are like a magnet drawing us to yourself.  Driving, within eight miles you drew me in.  In the early morning the huge orange ball in the sky caused me to ooh and aah.  Then as the highway began to move up a slight incline you reminded me how faith in you gives a new kind of spiritual awareness.  I suddenly became aware how you teach us to come up higher so we can move from our valleys with limited vision to high hills where we can seemingly see forever.  And then you took me back to my time of renewal where I remembered the sunrises in New Mexico, France, Italy, Ghana, and Maine.  The sheer joy of remembering your extreme goodness and beauty caused tears to well in my eyes.  Eight miles, do you really love me that much?

Over the last few miles to the monastery, you brought the title of the next retreat.  You showed me a book I could use.  You recommended an art project to go with it.  You showed me how I could bring things together.

By the time I got to the monastery I was full of you.  Was it the discipline of coming together as a covenant group for 25 years at the monastery that opened me wide to you?  Was it coming to worship?  Was it my willingness to be silent before you, to listen to what you wanted to say?  Or was it sheer grace, a decision to bless just because?

In any case I felt beautifully blessed this morning and I was very certain of the source of the blessing.

What marvelous ways
you bless us,
O Lord.
You show us
the way
to grace,
faith, and love.
You call out
to us
and then reveal
your mercy
and compassion.
Today
I was full
to overflowing
simply because
you chose
to fill me up.
Thank you,
thank you,
thank you.

Love, Andrea