What a change in the weather! Last week it really felt like summer, and yesterday and today, the wind made it feel colder than it was. All of a sudden I had to move tender plants indoors. The storm windows came down, even the ones that hadn’t yet been washed.
Sometimes we find ourselves caught in the suddenness of a change in our lives much like the recent drop in temperature. Caught unawares, we feel the ground shift below our feet. It’s a feeling that we don’t like. Holding onto what sustains us can be difficult in times like these. There are the usual recommendations, of course, such as getting enough sleep, taking an intentional break from the news and the computer, and going for a walk. These are ancillary to the importance of setting time aside for prayer and meditation. Prayer is more than talking to God; more importantly, it is the act of deep listening, a time to feel the presence of God in our lives, even in the midst of change all around us.
Prayer for the Day
Tender and compassionate God, we are often distressed,
For we see violence and callousness toward one another;
Afflicted by our careless acts of selfishness against the Earth.
We are often uncertain of the goals we set for ourselves.
Save us from our false pride that admits no wrong,
And teach us humility and forgiveness.
We ask this in the name of the One who is our help,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.
- Richard Rohr, OFM, American Franciscan priest, from Everything Belongs
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.
- Anaïs Nin, American essayist and writer (1903-1977)
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
And you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Psalm 36: 7-9