#prayer – Page 3 – Life in the Deep End

Winter’s Last Dance?

March 14, 2022Vona Wilson

My grandfather always said to wait until after Easter before counting on winter weather to be finished. Like any good farmer, he held even that with open hands, often reminding us that God is the one who created the world, and we don’t control the sun and the rain. A farmer works on faith and prayer in all efforts. A good approach for a Monday morning!

Was this winter’s last dance? I don’t know, but it was beautiful.

I am always fascinated by how quickly nature adapts to changing conditions. I don’t see resistance or hear complaint. Life persists fully and confidently forward.

Monday Prayer
Lord, you are our dwelling place. Wherever we are and whatever the conditions of the day, we need you to order our steps. Give us courage to walk into the week with confidence of your presence, and trusting that in your presence there is fullness of joy and life everlasting. We believe in YOU. Where life is overwhelming, please come quickly Lord to assist. Thank you for your faithfulness in all seasons. We pray in the name of the resurrected Christ, Amen.

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
– Psalm 16:11

Monday Prayer

February 21, 2022Vona Wilson

The morning peace arrives differently for all of us. But it still arrives. God is faithful. I pray God shows up for you in exactly the way you need today.

God bring peace to bedsides where people are making transition. Let the presence of the resurrected Christ standing guard with them be very clear today.

Bring peace to the people we love who are healing. Let their cells receive nutrients and care; let their blood flow richly through their bodies; fill their lungs with your breath of life and sooth the rhythm of every heartbeat. Free their minds from anxiety and fear. Thank you for equipping the medical teams with your healing grace. May their compassion and skill be guided by you.

Give strength to the ones who are weary but still face the day of long hours. Equip every person for each call and task. Cover them with safety and give wisdom in decisions.

Please grant rest to those who have a holiday and slower pace. Give them joy and restoration however they need it.

Where hope is needed, merciful God, please provide the flame that causes us to catch our breath and say, “it must be the presence of Lord with us!”

Thank you for the creative ways you respond when we ask for help. Open our spirits to see you and receive. We trust you, Lord, and we love you. Thank you for being right here!

Breaking Open

February 3, 2022Vona Wilson

The first time I traveled to Central America I was studying: “Spirituality in Third World Countries”. It was 2004. Nicaragua. I stood in streets filled with waste, spend the night on coffee farms to learn their practice and got my taste of making tortillas over a wood stove. I also rested in beautiful places and watched the sunset in Leon.

I learned about the fireworks and made peace with the rooster’s adamant heralding of the morning. I shared conversations with strangers and made new friends. We met with religious and political leaders and witnessed firsthand the realities of another culture and people. Something broke open in me during that experience and it’s been breaking open ever since.

My heart has grown. My mind has been sharpened. I have learned hard things and have watched beautiful cultures turn into dark spaces of suffering, while others emerged with hope, strength, and humility. My spirit has been pruned and shaped for something much bigger than me. I hope, on most days, it is shaped and breathing in a way that honors my Creator.

A lot of things break us open. Experiences leave us wide eyed and surprised. Grief and sorrow take our breath away and make it hard to live through the next hour. Beauty breaks us open. Love breaks us open. God breaks us open. Marriage, divorce, death, birth, illness, strength…all so incredibly intimate; breaking us wide open while also making us whole.

If you are breaking open today – may God give you peace to know that you are not alone. Help is on the way. Ask!
If you are celebrating a joy you can’t contain – I hope you see Jesus’ hand reaching out and inviting you to dance. Do it!
If you are surviving one day at a time – know that the plans God has for you are for good and not for harm .Trust this!

We are given life to live. Live fully. When beauty is present, make time to appreciate it. When you or someone you love is hurting – sit in the valley with them; your presence is enough. We are doing this life together – the sorrow and the joy; it is a gift. Above all, remember that you are loved.

A few photos this morning as a prayer offering.

Lunes por la Mañana en Guatemala

January 31, 2022Vona Wilson

Rooster calls across the dark morning tell me to rise, a new day has come. Before the people move or I can launch my mind to the work ahead, every bird, animal and plant is making a clear claim of praise for the faithful rise of the son. Villancico; song of praise. Santa Maria is invisible; the clouds shield any human sight of her presence. Nublado.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
This is what the ancients were commended for. – Hebrews 11:1

Morning Prayer
God, thank you for the creation that never ceases to praise you for the morning’s arrival. You have ordained another day; you speak it into being for all creatures. And whether we wake with heaviness or joy – you are here with us. Please walk with us wherever our steps trod today, we need you. Clear our minds of fear and shame. Remove the weight of worry. Fill our spirits with your grace and mercy. Remind us that we were created with your love, and we cannot destroy what you are making whole. Where we are broken – keep mending and restoring. When we are moving too fast – redeem within us your pace. Wherever love needs to pour over our wounds, we welcome your presence however you come. We trust you completely. Let it be. Amen.

PEACE 2022

January 3, 2022Vona Wilson

I confess to praying for snow. It is selfish and I know not everyone needs or wants it. I need the falling mystery that changes everything overnight. I welcome the joy of overwhelming delight; the invitation to play. I hope for it every winter and even in the quiet of the night, I sometimes pray, “Lord, if we can experience the snow, please bring it.” This morning we woke up to beautiful snow. How absolutely wonderful! A gift.

I realize now that I was waiting for it…the snow. Perhaps even this particular snow on the 3rd of January 2022. The “word” for this year came a few weeks ago and was confirmed as we listened and let the days pass through the new year. The year of Peace.

Lord, we embrace the peace you give:
Peace in your timing; it is perfect, we trust you.
Peace in our life’s work; it is meaningful, we need it.
Peace with our pace; not ahead of you and never too far behind.
Peace in our serving; for your glory and never our own.
Peace in our location; for wherever you are and wherever you send us, is where we need to be.
Peace in our friendships; may they bless and encourage; sharpen and never harm.
Peace in our joy; let it come from deep wells of your grace, unhindered by circumstance.
Peace in our whole being; for how you created us is enough. We are formed in your image.

Gracious Creator, give us Peace in our grounding of you
for though the mountains fall and the earth shakes
though our spirits mourn and our hearts break
though our laughter is fleeting, our joy is unending
For in all of this:
– you are forever and ever our God. You do not leave or forsake. You are steadfast and trustworthy. You bring possibilities out of our impossibles. You redeem what we thought could never be. You pick us up, dust us off and call us beloved. You are the author and finisher of our faith. Our Savior. In you and through you, we find and hold our Peace.

Welcome to the year of Peace. Whatever comes, we are confident of God’s holy presence with us.

The Candle In my Kitchen

December 16, 2021December 16, 2021Vona Wilson

I learned the practice from a friend several years ago. When prayer is needed and it’s all you can do, light a candle and let it burn. Let it be a sign and a reminder to hold that person or situation in prayer as you go about your space. Trust God to hear your spirit and love to cover the gaps.

There is a candle burning in my space today. It’s for those I love who suffer, and those who are fulfilling dreams. For leaders trying to navigate an unknown future and healthcare professionals offering healing in whatever way they can. It’s for those whose past haunts them and for those courageously walking the path of recovery step by step. The candle burns with prayers for hope, healing, strength and joy. The candle burns with love. If it is all I am able to give, I trust God that it is enough. Light a candle. Pray. God will move mountains at just the right time and place to reveal the presence of Christ among us.

Transitions

November 9, 2021November 9, 2021Vona Wilson

I love the way fall arrives. Every day there is a change, some signal that transition is happening. We anticipate the beauty that will come. We delight in the changes that we enjoy. We sigh (and maybe complain a little) about things we don’t embrace so easily: like an hour less of daylight!

Creation tries to teach us to receive it all, and trust that something right and amazing is unfolding. If I stop at the stream long enough I will see things falling away. Hedge apples drop to the ground. Leaves turn colors and float to some landing place. All the while, something new emerges. The deer is in pursuit, focused for the season. The squirrels prepare for winter, gathering up all they will need. Frost sneaks in the early morning hours and covers the earth, preparing for the winter on its way. All waiting for a child’s spirit to notice.

Perhaps God speaks in these transitions. Reassuring us that we are not alone in any season. Reminding us that way leads to way. Encouraging us to trust the Creator to keep guiding us along the path. Walk slowly and watch. Walk softly and listen. The whispers of the Spirit arrive in many ways.

Creator God, we welcome you to reveal yourself to us today. We invite the whisper of your Spirit to stir us from our slumber. We ask for the grace of your help – giving us wisdom in moments we most need it. Bring hope into our days and fill us with your Peace. Amen.

Fix My Eyes on You

The Morning Prayer

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021Vona Wilson

Holy God, you bring the sun to its rising
with no help from us.
The birds begin their songs
the rivers run without any
command or assistance from our hands.
The dew will dissipate
breezes will arrive and just as easily disappear.
We created nothing; you established all.
We humble ourselves before you and all that you created.
We praise you and thank you for all you have established.
Let our breath be drawn from yours
Let our steps be ordered by your grace
Take the work of our bodies and minds; it belongs to you.
Please bless whatever we offer.
Take the cares and burdens of our spirits; they are too heavy.
Bring peace where the deepest wounds and sorrows
have lingered too long.
May your wisdom that created this day
guide our lives through the hours
with safety, with love, and your mercy that
is offered to us new every morning.
By your Spirit, may the moments we live today
bring honor and glory to you.
What joy we have to live in your presence today! Amen.

The Night Mercy

September 21, 2021September 21, 2021Vona Wilson

Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.
Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew 9:29

Two blind men start following Jesus and just as soon as he goes inside they present themselves to him. They ask for mercy…neither of them can see; they are blind. They knew Jesus could restore what they had lost. They were confident that mercy was available. So they humbled themselves enough to ask for what they needed.

We don’t know exactly why, but the way Matthew tells the story, Jesus warned them not to tell anyone. He may have hoped to stay under the radar a little longer. But they couldn’t hold it in; they told everyone in the area. It was not the discreet healing Jesus may have hoped it would be. Getting free of something that is holding you back from seeing is pretty awesome; of course they wanted to tell!

We can lose sight in a lot of ways. Sometimes we have blind spots that prevent us from moving in the direction we need to go. Maybe we can’t see our way out of a situation or just simply don’t know how to take a step into the unknown. The mercy of Christ is present; we need only ask.

The night is a good time to ask for God’s mercy. The day rolls back through our minds and occasionally lingers in moments of regret or worry. We don’t have to carry it into our sleep. It’s OK to ask for what we need. We can trust the Spirit to sort out the details. Ask for mercy. Name what’s weighing on your heart and mind. Trust that everything is going to be OK, because God is holding you in the asking. God really is holding you. God is holding us.

Lord, have mercy on me.
For the moments I didn’t pause to see you…
restore my sight and sense of your presence.
For the words said too harshly, or words not said at all…
Lord, bring grace to cover the gaps.
For the worries stacking up on my shoulders and the situations I can’t fix…
Lord, please take it all into your hands.
You are our Peace. Amen.

Monday Blessing

August 30, 2021Vona Wilson

But now thus says the Lord,
    he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.  Isaiah 43: 1-2

Sometimes creation speaks when we cannot. The sunrise lures me and begs for my attention. Stop right here and marvel again how much beauty and strength can rise in the face of any situation. No war can stop it. No hurricane can destroy it. No brokenness can shame the sun from rising or hold back the clouds from making a grand display. The creative spirit of God rises and blesses the day’s beginning.

It will not only be this morning. All day long and well into the evening there will be signs that God is with us. There will be glimpses or whispers, tiny little things that are placed along the path to remind us that we are seen; we are loved. The One who created us is walking with us. The wisdom of the Lord is guiding our steps. Go slow enough to receive. Keep walking courageously forward, even if that is a tip toe step today. Every tiny movement in the sky was beckoned to create the sunrise. God invites us into this day too.

Lord, however your people need to see you today – thank you for revealing yourself to each one. Whatever we need to hear from you as a people on earth – thank you for speaking to us; we are listening. Whenever we turn to other voices and sources for wisdom, Holy God, please lure us back to what you have made known to us in the life of Christ. In you we remember who and whose we are. Help us to carry that strength and joy into this day. There is no place you will not meet us and lead us safely home. We love you, Lord. We need you and we trust you completely. Amen.

I, I am the Lord,
    and there is no savior besides me.
I announced, I saved, I proclaimed,
not some stranger among you.
You are my witnesses, says the Lord,
    and I am God.
From the dawn of time, I am the one.
    No one can escape my power.
    I act, and who can undo it? – Isaiah 43:11-13

Word of God Speak – Mercy Me