Friday, January 4, 2013

Dearest God,

You teach us to watch and pray believing that a sign will come, a sign of your living presence.  As we open our eyes and ears, you heighten our senses allowing us to experience holy moments when earth and heaven touch, the human and the divine.

Such a moment occurred early Wednesday morning as I traveled to the monastery for worship and spiritual direction.  As I drove down the highway, I looked up in the dusky sky.  One star shone brightly.  As I kept looking up it would sparkle, twinkle.  I gazed upon the star and then turned to see if there were any others.  But no, there was only one.  I wondered if I was seeing the same star the shepherds and wise men saw as they made their way to worship so long ago.  For forty minutes I watched the star until the sky lightened and I could no longer see it.  But I was excited, humbled, and joyous for the moments you gave to remember an extraordinary event that still changes human lives today.

At the same time I was listening to a CD by Susan Boyle.  The words to one song went like this:  "I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord.  Well, it goes like this the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift.  The baffled king composing hallelujah.  Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah."  When we live from faith allowing it to lead us in our daily living, do we too create hallelujahs?  Can we please you as well by our choices of faith?  If so, when I looked into the early morning sky, saw the star, and thought of you, was I seeing and hearing a hallelujah?

Almighty God,
creator of all that is good,
my soul
wells up
with joy
as I experience
mystical moments
with you.
A star
and a song
both directed me
to you.
I felt hallelujahs
rise up
within me
and I
sang them out
in praise.
Is this
the way
of faith
to bring
such peace,
joy, and contentment?

Love always, Andrea