Monday, July 23, 2018

Dear God,

I feel like a fish without water.  So much has happened requiring my attention and I have not been able to sit with you, listen, allow my thoughts to circle round, to wait and finally to write your word that comes to me.  Every day I do so, I see the light.   I feel a sense of peace.  I know I am in your presence.  Without you, I am the proverbial fish.

It was July, 2005 when I prayed asking you to lead and guide me on a Lilly clergy renewal leave.  Planned travels that would take me from Indiana to New Mexico and back, then to France, Italy, Ghana and England, back to the US to Maine and finally back to Indiana sounded wonderful but the whole journey was intended to be a journey with you.  A gentleman in my congregation suggested I write a blog.  I didn't even know what a blog was so he set me up and each day on my journey I wrote you a letter.  I have been writing ever since except several days now have passed with me distracted, frustrated and anxious.  I couldn't wait to sit down this morning.

O Lord, you are ever present in our lives.  While we go round and round pushed by work schedules, family needs, personal expectations, and everything under the sun, you wait patiently like a loving parent waits for their child to return from a first date.  You know our every distraction, our every longing, and our every frustration and worry.  Yet, you wait and gently whisper our name.

Eternal God,
Loving Parent,
Patient Spirit,
thank you
for the constancy
of your love
for your children.
So often
we fail
in our
spiritual endeavors.
Although you
offer many
stopping-off exits
from our
crazy circles,
we keep on.
Thank you
that I
heard you
loud and clear.

Love, Andrea