Good morning…
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going,” she read a Thomas Merton quote over the phone to end our monthly Julie’s Dream prayer meeting. “I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not actually mean I am doing so.”
“But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you,” her voice continued to read aloud Merton’s humble prayer. “And I hope I have desire in all that I am doing. I hope I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.”
“Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death,” she concluded. “I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
“Will you send us a copy of Merton’s prayer?” I asked before we ended our Zoom prayer time. Receiving these words, I have savored them, I have pondered them, I have let them sink into me. Merton’s wise words have met me just where I am, in the same spot I suspect many of us are right now. Teetering in between, in suspense and incomplete, none of us can see the road ahead.
Then, calmly coaxed to take our dog on a walk, my inner thoughts were amplified by the sight I saw.
On the near side of the road, the green hope of spring is popping up bravely. On the far side of the road there is the dying of winter, bare skinny branches, dead brown of leaves, the serene silhouette against a grey sky. For the first time this winter my eyes saw the promise, “Spring is on its way.”
Then I thought of the photo my mother-in-law sent this week from the rolling hills of northern Pennsylvania. Tuesday brought 11 inches of snow. Wednesday dropped 18 more inches. On the news last night, I saw a big storm settled over her area with more snow predicted.
Growing to trust the Master of all seasons, we instinctively know, “Spring is on its way!” In GA, in PA, wherever we wake today, spring truly is on its way. Sometimes we are led down roads where we can catch glorious glimpses of God’s enduring truth. Other times we cannot see where, when, and how a new season will ever pop through our heavy laden soil. In every and all seasons, each of us are encouraged to walk with God by faith, not reliant upon our sight.
That’s why we’re always full of courage. Even while we’re at home in the body, we’re homesick to be with the Master — for we live by faith, not by what we see with our eyes. We live with a joyful confidence, yet at the same time we take delight in the thought of leaving our bodies behind to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8, TPT).
“Being at home with the Lord” brings our thoughts back to Merton’s prayer. Let’s whisper it aloud to God this time through:
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not actually mean I am doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have desire in all that I am doing. I hope I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
Lord, show me your right way of living, and make it easy for me to follow. People are looking for my weaknesses, so show me how you want me to live (Psalm 5:8, ERV). Our simple prayer from earlier in the week silently slips in to take hold of our hand, “GOD, U and I DANCE!”
…Sue…
