There are four stems of sunflowers perched in a mason jar on the kitchen counter. Stout-stemmed and glorious yellow, they have been with us for more than a week. Sunflowers are a favorite in this house. The yellow of the petals matches the yellow front door. “The little house with the yellow door,” he used to say when he was younger. Our son loves the color, too.
I can hear the cardinal chirping this morning. They are loud birds. Beautiful and loud. I wonder how the robin who made her nest in the holly tree is faring. Have her eggs hatched? Or has the activity through the window from our dining room sent her away?
Scattered on the dining room table are newspapers and books. There are at least three pair of glasses beloning to my wife. There is also a Bible (KJV) stacked under the Book of Common Prayer and Skalund/Hall’s A Manual of Worship, two water bottles, a couple of empty glasses, and a mug holding this morning’s coffee. The first Bible I ever bought was for a history class in college. It was a Jerusalem Bible. It’s here somewhere. Hiding. Bibles don’t lurk, but they do hide.
The Richmond Times Dispatch, the local paper, has been appearing on our stoop in the mornings. We do not know why. We do not subscribe to the local paper. There are websites that cover the local and regional news. Still, it’s surprise appearance has me wondering about local news coverage and the necessity of rooting oneself where one is planted.
A wise woman once told me that when you awaken in the middle of the night and are unable to return to sleep, it is God calling you to pray for somebody. You don’t have to know their name or their situation. You simply need to pray. “O Lord, you know…”
O Lord, you know who needs prayer, who is troubled or in trouble, who is in need of your healing and grace. O Lord, you know where there is strife in this world. You know where your children are starving and afraid. You know where hearts have grown cold and calculating. Save us. Save us from ourselves, Jesus. Save us from cruel neighbors. Save us from callus leaders. Save us from bombs and missiles, tanks and guns…from all the machinery of war and death. There is no God but You, O Lord. None. But we make idols of our own might every day. We make idols of our wealth. We call them Greatness. We call them Success. They are always Mammon. They are always Death.
Thus sayeth the Lord, “Rise up, O People! Rise! Why do you allow the corrupt to rule? Why do you hide and deny My Grace? Be not afraid. I go before you always.”
Thus sayeth the Lord, “Unclinch your jaw. Set firm your feet. Fear will come, but with courage you will rise above fear and find My Love.”
Thus sayeth the Lord, “Do not be silent in the face of injustice. Sow Love. Be Grace. Know your place as my Children. You are the very Image of God.”
“Show up. Use your voice. Praise, pray, and remember Whose You Are.”
Lovely!
I agree, and a quick breath helps me pray widely.