Bless

 

A Garden of the Heart

Bless, O God, the pure ideas of the heart that come

on sympathetic winds and germinate on fertile ground

within. Help us nurture them; protect them from a

summer day too hot, a storm too violent… and make

them sturdy, to withstand a well-intended cautionary

cropping by a relative or friend who wants us to be

safe and means to spare us disappointment.

Make in each of us a garden well supplied with sun

and rain, and teach us husbandry. May we be strong

and clear of sight, and thus not lightly swayed from

our designs; if we are convinced that you began the

planting as a gift of work and purpose, may we not

abandon it.

How will we know a grand idea from a flight of

fantasy? If heaven-sent, it will be eager and

exuberant. Its fruit will heal the sick or feed the

hungry, shade the weary, school the would-be

wise, or simply yield delight, a place of beauty

radiant with love, a feast for pilgrims’ eyes.

Amen.

Faith in the Grand Scheme of Things

National Geographic

Forgive It First

I've looked every which way at this gift I'm 

giving you, in different modes, from many
vantage points, to find its wrinkles and to iron
them away, repair its flaws and make it
exquisite. And just when it looks smooth and
fine and irreproachable, the light shifts just a
little and it seems an ugly, injured thing, and I
begin again to try to become new.

I cultivate a ... garden ... in a light and sunny
corner....  crazy-frankenstein.com

The wind sweeps over the plains and blows

away the chaff and the brittle weeds and
lingering wisps of dry snow, and for a moment
it is peeled clean of all but new life starting
over. I cultivate a small but fruitful garden. I
plant it in a light and sunny corner and do my
best to keep it lovely and immaculate. It is my
pledge of faith in the grand scheme of things. I
dig and fertilize and sow and place the little I
control at the mercy of a force I can invoke
but not manipulate or modify. I must not even
try. Be the planter and the harvester, so says
the earth. Let God be God.

I create nothing, only express the multitude of
combinations of Creation, summoned,
gathered, surrendered into structure. I'll
never seal the gift; its flaws are invitations to
experience, and they are raw material for unearthly transformation.

What it is right now, I give with my whole
heart, not waiting for perfection; I haven't got
the time or tools to fix it right. Accept, forgive it
first, then sweep away the chaff. Plant fresher
seed and love it into life.

                     ~ Mary Campbell

g

Published on the Fellowship in Faith Winter 2012 Website. 

Fellowship in Prayer is a non-profit private operating foundation. We publishSACRED JOURNEY, a multi-faith journal through which readers can explore the spiritual insights and experiences of religious leaders and practitioners around the world. We sponsor and support programs for adults and youth that promote prayer, meditation and service to foster a more just and peaceful world community. We connect people to pray together, exchange ideas and lend each other spiritual support through a global network via the internet.