Prayer: The Gate

I recently returned from a vacation in Alaska to my home in Colorado.  My son married in Seattle on a cruise ship, and then the family and friends went on an inside passage cruise for a week.  It was a wonderful trip.

The wedding vows were conducted by a minister from the Unity Church.  My son and wonderful new daughter-in-law made quite a number of promises to each other.  There were more promises than I remember making when I married my dh , 29 years ago.  The vows were powerful and made each person there aware of the exciting and frightening commitment to love someone for your entire lifetime.

After being married as long as I have, my theory is, the love that takes you to the alter isn’t the same love that takes you to the Golden Wedding anniversary.  We must allow our souls to stretch and grow and our love to stretch and grow.  I do pray for Ian and Sarah to always love each other, to respect and bring out the best in each other everyday.  There will be ups and downs, I pray they handle each with strength and grace.  I pray that passion, hope, forgiveness, wisdom, kindness, and encouragement will be part of their everyday experience together.

I believe God loves us from our moment of conception until the end of time.  If we could all learn to love like that!

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There are times I think we have all done or said something we regret.  I don’t know about you, but I can go to God and say “please forgive me”. I believe he does.  But it can be so hard to forgive myself.  I have spent years beating myself up over some regret.  Does it fix it?  No.

Why is it so hard to forgive ourselves?  God forgives us, and he is a big and awesome God.

Forgiveness is a big idea.  It is love, and grace.  Grace is not earned, it is a gift from God.

If we can learn to forgive ourselves, love and forgive other people, the world will be a better place.  Amen

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For a number of years I wrote music for children’s school programs. I also taught songwriting workshops for kids and did music performances.  It was great to utilize my unique and creative abilities in such a deeply satisfying way.

Frequently I got hugs. Not formal, casual, reserved or contrived hugs.  I’m talkin’ full out, often body slamming, with everything they’ve got hugs.  Power hugs.  That is the one thing I miss about sharing art with children.  It would bring out the best in both of us, the kids and me.

Mark 10:13 talks about people were bringing children to Jesus so that He might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them.  But when Jesus saw this He was indignant and said:

Mark 10:14 “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; the the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” 10:15 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.” 10:16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands upon them.

Children have such clarity at times, a little wonder and mischief in their eyes. They can be stubborn, and stick to a single purpose when they want something.  Curiosity, faith and trust are second nature.  They find joy in the beauty of each day.  As we grow older the world can snuff that joy, faith, trust, and wonder right out of us.

We learn the hard lessons in school and in life , and we learn to not hug but if we do it is with distance and reserve. 

Let us find our child-like nature when coming before God.  Enter his presence with joy, clarity, and trust as a child of God.  We are, you know.

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Peter and John and James went with Jesus to the mountain to pray.

Luke 9:29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and his clothing became white and gleaming.

Prayer changes us.  You say you want to talk to God, and the cool thing is that you can.  And it will change you.  You find yourself listening for the still small voice.  Following your hunches and God given instincts, and it is good.

It is funny because our human nature seeks a rhythm, a routine.  We want to know what to expect.  We would prefer no big surprises when thinking about how our day will be.  We like to experience the change and the adventure vicarously. 

I think that is why everyone loves to read J.R. Tolkien.  The first couple of pages of The Hobbit are completely engaging in describing us  and how we want to live our lives.  There is a hole with a round door like a porthole.  It is a snug, comfortable, wonderful little place called Bag-end under The Hill.  Bilbo, we are told, is well-to-do, has wardrobes and rooms full of clothes.  Bilbo doesn’t do or experience anything unexpected.

Suddenly dwarves begin to show up, a few at a time.  Bilbo is making breakfast for everyone and Gandalf shows up and soon the adventure begins.  We love it.  How awesome would that be if a fantastic, exciting adventure would simply manifest itself at our door one morning.  My theory is, if it actually did, we wouldn’t go.  We have responsibilities, a mortgage, a job, and obligations.  We have stuff to take care of.  What if something happened that was beyond our control?

So we read about it, cheer on the little guy.  He does come home.  His relatives are selling all his stuff in an auction.  He survives the adventure. But he is changed.

I wonder if I would make breakfast for a bunch of strangers at my door.  I wonder if I would take off on the adventure of my life if God asked me to.  Part of me wants to. I’m sure I would be changed.

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For a long time I kept three prayers lists.  The three lists were

1. Things I wanted
2. Things I wanted to get rid of
3. Things or mostly people I was thankful for. 

Whenever I was depressed or down, I would look at list number 3 and it I know it sounds kind of simple or childish, but I would feel better.

List number 1 is always a fun list to put together.  It kind of runs a wide range of ideas for me.  I want to be a good wife.  I want to listen more than I talk.  I want a sprinkler system for the yard and central air conditioning. I want to know I am a divine idea in the mind of God and I want to live my life in the divine plan or purpose without regret.  To do that I will want to be brave and willing to let God utilize my gifts and talents.  Let his will be done in my life.

Things I want to get rid of.  Now you may think that is a crazy kind of list, but what I put on this list is bad habits.  My addicition to smoking was on this list for a long time.  The prayer was answered.  The nature of God is so good.  I tend to save everything, so I want to get rid of the things that are no longer necessary in my life, things that I don’t find beautiful or useful anymore.

Things I am thankful for.  This list has items like my good health, the ability to have a great job that I enjoy.  My unique creative ideas and the ability to express them in deeply satisfying ways.  Family and friends are always on the list.

It is always amazing when I find a list written a year or more ago, how many prayers have been answered.  I’m sure your prayers are answered as well.   Take a little time to think about the answered prayers.  It gives us all hope to carry on and know that God is listening and he is answering our prayers.

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Psalm 25:7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Thy lovingkindness remember Thou me, For Thy goodness sake, O Lord.

25:8 Good and upright is the Lord:

As we pray and walk with God like David did, he isn’t a distant or unreachable God, but a loving father.

Psalm 100:1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.

100:5 For the Lord is good;

(NAS version)

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