Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Dear God,

As the year draws to a close, there is much I want to leave behind...a pandemic, an incompetent president, division and chaos, economic uncertainty and injustice.  And yet, this year you have taught me to look for the gift in the midst of all these.  You have shown me how it was and is not all loss.  There has been gain although it has been a challenge looking for it sometimes.

While there has been so much fighting and conflict on every level of life particularly in our nation, there have been some amazing gestures of love, compassion, grace, help and service.  People have reached out even to strangers like front line and essential workers, the jobless and hungry, to teachers and neighbors, to the elderly and forgotten and to the helpless and sick.  Whether providing food, assistance, care packages, words and songs of encouragement, special kindnesses, financial aid, gifts, a listening ear at a social distance and the list goes on and on, strangers have become friends, comrades and family.  Creativity, innovation and change have provided new ways of doing old things.  Love has discovered new avenues of expression.  The list of gifts is long, rich and beautiful.

Compassionate God,

we have

desperately needed you

this year.

We have 

suffered long

and hard.

Thank you

for your

living presence found

in so many.

Love, Andrea