Sunday, January 1, 2017

Dear God,

How good it is to start fresh with you, to let go of the past, and to consider the future with all the resources you give us to lead us into newness of life.  Prayer, meditation, divine silence, music of the soul, and a longing to walk close can direct our path and inspire us to reconsider our commitment to you. 

First, we begin with love.  Your love is greater than human love.  You give it to every child of the planet.  When we start with love, recognizing it as your greatest gift to us, we have time to drink it in, to breathe it into the whole of our being, and to bask in unconditional love.  Once we are full of your love we have courage to begin anew.  Secondly, we follow love with silence.  Why?  Because it is a gift we give back, a time of quiet, listening, and opening ourselves to you.  There you have our attention and an opportunity to speak to us.  In our quietude, we have the privilege of hearing your voice.  Your message may be one of reiterated love or affirmation or hope or challenge.  Thirdly, we step inside your message.  If it be hope, we have the chance to let hope into our body, mind, and soul.  With hope we acknowledge other gifts that will help us pursue the future with determination and thanksgiving. Fourth, we take steps forward and along the way we pick up strength, joy, and increase our courage.  Finally, having come full circle, we step back into love with gratitude.  Gratitude helps us see the vast wealth of what we have been given.

Today is a new day to begin but then so is tomorrow and the next day and the next.

Almighty God,
thank you
for love
that never ends.
Thank you
for all
your wondrous
and beautiful gifts.
Thank you
for your kindness
that helps
us see
the future,
our future ahead.

Love always, Andrea