Friday, June 9, 2017

Dear God,

Reading scripture and then entering the story is a case in wondrous mystery.  Coming to know the characters of the bible, walking a piece with them, and engaging in their conflicts, discoveries, and transformation is such a blessing and joy.  It is what is happening to me these days.

I wandered with Jeremiah for several weeks, now with Isaiah.  Every day I spend time with the psalmist.  This morning I had occasion to meet with Rhoda and Mary in the book of Acts.  Oh, how wonderful to spend time with rising stars.

I am challenged by these people of faith.  Their story becomes my own and I am pushed, nudged, and asked to write my story.  I think to myself what can I possibly say?  Then I realize such a statement is to deny or diminish my own faith story, not to lift up myself but to hold up, affirm, and praise the God of my faith.  To that end I have much to say about you, Wondrous God.

You are worthy of praise, O Blessed One.  You are the strength of my life.  You are my refuge, my teacher, comforter, challenger, and friend.  You are the love of my life.  You are creator, sustainer, and redeemer.  You make each new morning.  You give the birds a song to sing, not the same but unique so their songs become a symphony.  You paint the sky, the flowers and trees.  You make the bees to buzz, the butterflies to fly, and the humans to smile.  You draw the shade on the light and then kiss each star to shine brightly only to lift the shade each dawn allowing the light to radiate around the globe.  You call the ocean to wave and the earth to grow tiny things.  You bless, dear God, you bless all day and all night. 

Mighty God,
thank you
for your
own family
of faith.
Thank you
for the story,
theirs and yours.
Thank you
for giving
each of us
a story
to tell,
a real life,
love story.

Love, Andrea