Poem: Storage
When I moved from one house to another
there were many things I had no room
for. What does one do? I rented a storage
space. And filled it. Years passed.
Occasionally I went there and looked in,
but nothing happened, not a single
twinge of the heart.
As I grew older the things I cared
about grew fewer, but were more
important. So one day I undid the lock
and called the trash man. He took
everything.
I felt like the little donkey when
his burden is finally lifted. Things!
Burn them, burn them! Make a beautiful
fire! More room in your heart for love,
for the trees! For the birds who own
nothing—the reason they can fly.
-----------------Mary Oliver (1933-2019), beloved Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning poet
Proverb:
“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
–-------------------------Matthew 6:26
Painting: Wheatfield With Crows, Vincent Van Gogh, 1890
Prayer: Prayer for Simplicity
(Inspired by Psalm 131)
O God, we come before You,
humble in heart,
rejoicing in your manifold mercies.
Let us not puff ourselves up with pride,
for we seek to be worthy of your Name.
Let us still our souls to rest upon You,
as a small child turns into the arms of her mother,
resting upon her breast.
Let us fasten upon this simple Truth:
that You are our God,
the root of all we are and all we do.
Let us center our determination
upon honoring your Word in our lives,
for we depend solely upon You
for wisdom and truth.
Knit us together in love and kinship,
united in purpose to serve You
through each other.
Refresh the souls of the weary, Lord Christ,
and give your peace to those we now name.
Amen.
-------------------Leslie Barnes Scoopmire
No comments:
Post a Comment