Write a Prayer-a-Day Project

To have lived life is to have experienced the gamut of emotions.  From successes to failures; from joy beyond belief to grief beyond reckoning.  It is often said that we need the difficult times to recognize when we’ve got it good: perhaps a better reconciliation is to think of life as a quilt.  Patterns, colors, and texture are what make it rich and engaging.  Some of the squares will be smooth and pleasant to touch, others, taken by themselves, are more course, less inviting.  Yet, when we stand back and take in the work as a whole, we are amazed.  We are moved.  We are comforted.  And we come to appreciate that we would not have any other quilt, for we’ve imbued this one with all our passions, all our longings, and with our deepest understandings.  For the tapestry of all humankind, splendid in its diversity of texture and its unity of composition, we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Effort will be made today.  Energy expended, with hopes of efficacious outcomes.  The trying is all; nothing good can come of not endeavoring.  Not all will go as hoped or planned, but no ill will come from making the attempt.  Life is an ongoing call-to-action, and we must, ultimately, heed the call.  For if we don’t engage on our own behalves, then surely we will be pressed into some other service, one which may not be so agreeable to us.  Let today begin with renewed resolve to act in accordance with our hearts, to be the change we wish to see.  Let us move with purpose, and expect better things, of ourselves, of each other, and for the the world.  For informed energy we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Yesterday, promises were made.  Will today find them fulfilled?  Or will this day find us regretting we were unable to see them through?  That is the trouble with a promise – it seems to be an all-or-nothing proposition.  Perhaps, instead of making promises, we should look instead to make commitments.  The distinction is found in time: a promise has a short lifespan, and has only one of two outcomes; a commitment is long-term, and recognizes that we are imperfect, and that we will fall short, repeatedly.  However, a commitment has room for growth, it has potential.  And it has the capacity to recognize our failures, and invite us back.  We can continue to move forward in our commitments, without shame and regret.  Now, doesn’t that sound promising?  For relationships built on commitment, we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

What is today?  Today is a promise:

A promise to be authentic.

A promise to try.

A promise to love.

A promise to heal.

A promise to feel.

A promise to think.

A promise to act.

A promise to listen.

A promise to seek understanding.

A promise to practice.

A promise there will be a tomorrow.

What is tomorrow?  Tomorrow is a promise…

For promises we are thankful.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Perhaps life’s most significant transition is that which takes us from the familiar state of living to the unfamiliar state of not-living.  Significant because of our uncertainty of what lies ahead, for no one can go there and later report back and assure us that all is well.  Significant because our absence leaves an empty space in the lives of the people we’ve touched, which time will heal, but will never fill.  Significant because somehow, magically and in an instant, all that we’ve done up to that moment is supposed to come into meaning and purpose.  We must all make this journey, a next step in the arc of our living experience.  Sadly, we must go it alone.  May we, this day and every day, make the love we will need to ease the transition.  Our worldly selves will dissolve and disappear, but our love will endure, vital, active, and very much alive.  So let us be generous in our loving, for it is the eternal and omnipresent commodity, and brings the ultimate meaning to our lives.  We are immeasurably grateful for love.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

Let us shine today, radiating brilliance and light.  Let those we encounter feel our presence as we move through our day.  May we bring positive energy to all that we do.  May we accept our burdens and tasks with gratitude, for they may be blessings in disguise.  Let us be grateful for our abilities and our gifts; may we seek to put them to good use.  May we find purpose and meaning in our work, even if it is nothing more than recognizing the importance of helping support our families.  Lets get to work!  For simple purpose in living we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

May we be assured and re-assured this day.  May we discover our choices have not been in vain.  May we find affirmation that we are on the best of all possible paths, and that the way ahead is clear.  Should we find there are unexpected obstacles, may we also find the resources to navigate through uncharted regions.  May our helpers be sure of hand, sharp of mind, and loving of heart.  May the touch of a stranger be of comfort rather than harm.  May we reach out in return, in the ongoing conversation of living and breathing, of feeling and Being.  For the miracle of simply experiencing this day, we give thanks.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

May today remind us what it means to be in healthy relationships.  May we learn how to balance our own needs with making space for others.  May we know how to ask for what we need, but also come to a deeper understanding of the word ‘need.’  May we give support and feel supported.  May we give love, and know that we are loved in return.  May we give and receive care in equal measure.  And may our relationships bring untold fulfillment, meaning, and purpose to our lives.  For the eternal gift of relationships we are unspeakably grateful.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

May today be bright and clear.  May the winds subside, may the storm clouds pass.  May the ambient air temperature be comfortable, may the humidity level be tolerable.  May we experience light, refreshing rain, with no threat of deluge.  May the sunset be magnificent, and the night cool and soothing, inviting perfect rest.

And may we have nice weather today as well.

We are thankful for favorable forecasts.  Blessed Be, and Amen.

May we understand more deeply today just how blessed we are.  In spite of our trials and tribulations, (and indeed, often because of them,) we are blessed to simply be here now.  The world is filled with everyday miracles, us included.  We commune with God each day, as we think, speak, relate and feel.  Even our pain can morph into blessings, although it is hard to understand that truth while we endure it.  To lead a spiritual life is to find and appreciate these everyday blessings, everyday.  So, prayer is not about asking for what we desire; rather, it is about learning to appreciate what we have right in front of us.  Let us begin by appreciating that, and appreciating each other.  We are grateful for our blessings.  Blessed Be, and Amen.