Archive - June, 2006

A Prayer for Us

Loving God, we know there are tremendous problems facing the world – natural disasters, civil wars, violence, disparities in resources, and sickness. We confess that there are days when we look the other way, change the channel, or pretend the problems don’t exist. We say that the problem is someone else’s concern or displace the blame. We are not confident that we can make an impact and we fear failure for ourselves on the behalf of others. We might even think that moving to make a difference will change us in ways that we will not like or make us uncomfortable. Before we even begin, we desire to give up – on our opponents and on the victims.

Forgive us for our faint-heartedness and selfishness, for failing to love others as we should, and for failing to believe that you have empowered us to protect our brothers and sisters.

Remind us, Holy One, that some faithful persons refused to give up on us, and that You have not given up on any of us. AMEN

A Prayer from the Save Darfur Campaign.

What I Believe

"What I believe is not what I say I believe. What I believe is what I do." 
  Donald Miller in Blue Like Jazz.

Ouch. If the above statement is truth then I believe:

  • my needs often come above the needs of others.
  • my time is more important than other people’s time.
  • God didn’t make me beautiful enough on the outside.
  • someone else will take care of the violence in Darfur.
  • it is enough to feel hurt for people.  Doing something to actually help is optional.
  • my life is my own.
  • I don’t need others.
  • food can make you feel better.
  • I can do a better job planning my own life than God.
  • God does not keep his promises.

Tonight there is a disappointing reflection staring back at me in the mirror.  I’m seeing some wrinkles and age spots I’ve not seen before under the light of this quote. I could stand here for a long time picking apart my reflection, cursing every blemish present but as I stare with a saddened and shamed heart, the transparent reflection of Christ begins to appear over my own face.  His beautiful eyes, staring back at me, are deep oceans of compassion and grace. I cannot look away.  What is it that I see in the depths of His eyes? Understanding?  Forgiveness?  Love?  Belief in me?   

I am so fixated on His beautiful face that I lose sight of my blemishes and wrinkles for a moment.  They are still there, of course, but they all but vanish from my sight.  I fix my gaze on Him and I’m not distracted by my humanness and failures. 

Don’t look down, Melissa.  Just look into His eyes and go forward.

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