Prayers

 


It was still dark, but I couldn’t miss this statement written in chalk on the still sleeping sidewalk on this early morning. I had to stop for a few minutes to contemplate the deep meaning: “God loves you - maybe”. Now that grabs your attention! I must admit, I wasn’t prepared for the “maybe”. Of course, it is good to know that, since love seems to be so up in the air, we are prayed for by the artist.
We live in a world of “maybe”. Maybe the weather will be nice for our weekend plans. Maybe we make it through the pandemic without our family getting sick. Maybe everything gets back to normal soon. Maybe my team wins it all this year. Maybe we get a dog. Maybe. From the simplest things to matters of life and death, we live with “maybe”.
That is why the constants mean so much, why they are essential to our sense of well being. These “non-maybes” may be few, but they are powerful. The sun will come up, and we have another chance at this wonderful gift called life. We are able to choose the person we will be, regardless of the circumstances. Those who really love us will love us, period. These make a difference. These ARE the difference.
The scripture says that “there is no shadow of turning” with God. The moon and planets spin through their orbits around the sun, we spin through the hectic pace of our existence, life unfolds around us moment by fleeting moment. But my sidewalk artist neighbor got this one wrong. There is no “maybe” about our being loved by God. That is the foundational constant of life. It is true whether we believe it or not. It is true, whether at any particular moment, we feel it or not. It is true whether we understand it or not. And it is true for all people everywhere, whether we like it or not. God’s love is one thing about which there is no “maybe”.
But, whoever you are, I still welcome your prayers. There is also no “maybe” about my need for them, or for your need to pray.
Peace.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God is at Work

Image
In the early morning I was struck with this image. It seems to have it all. Green leaves. Red leaves. Clouds. Blue sky. The cross high and lifted up to the sky. It seemed to me that there was the stuff of several good photos in this one place and at one time. So I took the picture. Life is like that more often than not, isn't it? Good and bad. Happy and sad. Calm and chaos. Peace and turmoil. The season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas acknowledges this reality. The people of old resigned to their fate, yet hoping in the future. John the Baptist bringing the good news that the time had come, yet thundering away at one and all. Mary afraid, yet faithful. A baby is born that changes everything, yet the world remains still weary and violent. But, in the midst of all this, in the midst of the whiplash of everyday life, God is at work. God is present. God is calling. In all of it. In every bit of it. Through it all, God is with us. During these holidays, when joy can be mixed ...
Read more

Home

Image
  I came across this interesting tree the other morning. I was immediately transported back to my childhood and one of my favorite boyhood books, “My Side of the Mountain”. It was about a boy who went off by himself to live in the woods and to find everything he needed provided by nature. I don’t recall how many times I read that book in my elementary school years, but it was plenty. As I recall, he made his home in a tree that had a natural door, much like this one. I dreamed of following in his footsteps and doing the same in the woods behind my house. I never did. Home comes in all kinds of versions. Opulent mansions. Simple cabins. Modest middle-sized houses. Some people have the amazing ability to create home even when they are without a physical home. There are heroes who keep family together through tough transitions and the hardest of times. They commit to staying connected. They love one another. They are accountable to each other as they lift up the heart of what it means...
Read more

Loving Embrace by Barry Hughes

Image
One of the joys of walking each day is passing my neighbors. I may not know their names, but I feel I know many of them from our shared walks. I have names for them in my head, based on the dogs they walk or at what place on my route I usually pass them each day. I am amazed at how many people seem to be creatures of habit, like myself, walking the same course at the same time every day. I must admit that I do wonder, from time to time, what name they have given me as they pass me every day. On occasion, I see people who are new to me. On this morning I came upon the scene of a woman leaving a house for her walk. Suddenly, two small boys rushed out, barefoot and dressed in pajamas, urging her to wait. She stopped and turned, and with beatific smile embraced both boys and shared a few joyful moments with each. It was a touching and heartwarming sight. I imagined that the woman is grandmother to the boys. She is here visiting and these boys awoke as she walked out the door. They did not ...
Read more