Prayer Traps

Along with the love letters I received during my Cursillo weekend, I also received numerous prayer cards, pocket crosses and coins and other Christian 'doo dads.' You see them here on my little Charley Brown Christmas tree that sits perpetually in my hallway. It was naked, so I clothed it in prayer reminders which we learned during one of our talks can be referred to as 'prayer traps.' They are reminders placed in strategic places that encourage us to pray. My tree is festooned with a purple lei that tells me Iowa Cursillistas are praying for our weekend, a tiny skateboard that says Jesus, numerous cards with Bible verses and inspirational thoughts, bracelets, a key chain, necklaces of De Colores, etc. Each time I pass my tree, I seek out one of the prayer traps and whisper a thank you to God for my many blessings. Another prayer trap I use is simply waking up. After I become conscious and before I get out of bed, I try to remember to thank God for the morning and murmur "This is a day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." My friend, Laury always lights a candle to her 'Merci Lady' in Cajarc, St. Cirq Lapopie, Cahors or where ever she finds her as a thank you for her many blessings. Do you use prayer traps to remind yourself to pray? How do you thank God?

Grace

Grace.....

    a vital and unending gift from God

    unearned and undeserved

    let me be a sponge to soak up God's grace

    filled, let me spread God's grace to others

    so I can be filled up once again by God.

Meditations from my Cursillo weekend.

The Fruits of God's Spirit

Gentleness...the fruit of God's Spirit

Soft, a whispering pressure, a long purring stroke.

A breeze, not a wind.

A murmur, not a roar.

God--powerful, strong, forceful,

But more often, gentle.

His signs are not flashing neon,

But the muted pastels of an Impressionist painting.

He brushes against my skin,

His fingers softly tracing the paths He created--

Veins, bones, tendons, muscles;

I feel His presence.

He nudges rather than pushes.

God's gentleness soothes and encourages.

Like a mother stroking her baby's bare bottom,

God's gentle touch comforts and makes me feel

Safe, loved, a cherished child.

And as God gently loves me,

 I will so love my neighbor.

Galatians 5: 22-23

     "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..."

Feed My Lambs

A rough-hewn handmade cross blesses the site. Rows of flowers mark the southern boundary. Then row upon row of vegetable plants begin their march to cover 3/4 acres of what used to be St. Timothy's lawn. A small garden has bloomed into an ecumenical project at my church this summer. A parishioner plowed and tilled the bigger space; others came and worked the soil, sowed seed and dug holes for plants. The first crop was radishes, of course! And they found their way to hungry people. Peas came next...30 pounds at one picking. The 150 tomato plants are predicted to produce 2 tons of tomatoes. Volunteers from other churches in the area help weed, harvest and re-plant; it's become a real community project. There is discussion about our church partnering with the Cathedral downtown to process and can produce as that church has a huge kitchen and the ability to meet food regulations. It's a big deal, this garden project. It's a response to Christ's instruction to 'feed my lambs' found in John 15:21.

But it's even more than that. Most of the harvest from this garden goes to non-governmental agencies, i.e. churches and non-profits that serve undocumented peoples...the homeless and those in this country illegally. During my garden photo-taking session, I spoke with one of the garden's founders who told me that all the 'official' Des Moines and state agencies require two forms of ID in order to help/serve clients. This effectively eliminates both the homeless and those undocumented workers in this country illegally; they are turned away leaving it to places like the Eddie Davis Center and churches in the area to help. I've been haunted by this knowledge ever since I heard it. No matter what your political persuasion or how you feel about illegal immigration, no matter if you think being homeless is a matter of poor personal choices...if someone comes to you hungry and in need, you have an obligation to help whether they have the proper paperwork or not!  Whether we decide to send someone back to their own country or back under the bridge to sleep, we should send them with full stomachs and maybe even a sack lunch for the journey. It's the least we can do to feed Christ's 'lambs.'

I Can See Clearly Now...

This is what it's all about...now and forever.









Read about the glasses at Musings From Red Bell Farm.

The Parable of the Dog and Her Master

I try to get Lucie and I out for a walk every day that it's not raining, snowing, sleeting, or so hot and humid that we risk heat stroke. As it gets deeper into summer, our walks get earlier and earlier to avoid both the heat of the day and as many mosquitoes and deer flies as we can. Today we were out by 8am. The sun was glorious, the sky was brilliant blue, it was still fairly cool with a light breeze. As Lucie scampered off ahead of me on the gravel road, I stayed ever alert for danger. Tractors pulling farm equipment, spray trucks, the county road grader, and an occasional neighbor heading to town are common on the road in front of my house. Lucie is usually pretty alert and stays out of their way, but still I worry and watch, calling her to me if I hear or see a vehicle coming. She sits, quiet and obedient, until the danger passes, and I give her the word that it's safe to continue. Do I give my Master the same respect? Do I trust that He is watching the road ahead for danger and will call to me if it approaches? And if He does call, do I answer, quiet and obedient?

As we turn onto the safer dirt road, I'm still alert. Are the neighbor's cows in their roadside pasture? Lucie is SO tempted by the mamas and the calves...especially the calves. They kick and run from her, and she delights in chasing them.While there is little danger from their tiny flying hooves, there is danger from the farmer who sees dogs chasing his cattle as a real menace to his livelihood. Cattle-chasing dogs have been known to turn up shot...not a fate I want for my precious doggie! So, I call to her sternly; I pull her away from temptation before she even gets started...and she obeys. Does my Master call out to me to avoid temptation? Can He see danger in things that look so fun and innocuous to me? Do I even heed His call?

I'm always amazed when I see Lucie absolutely ignore the most tantalizing things. She runs right past the big ol' frogs who plop into the ditch water when she passes. She gives no notice at all to the mama kildeer running along the road in front of her trying to lure Lucie away from her nest. Squawking and feigning a broken wing, she wants Lucie to give chase; Lucie could care less. Yesterday I watched as my doggie literally trotted right over a dead snake! Never even glanced down. I shake my head and chuckle, "what does it take, Lucie, to get you to notice things right in front of you?" Does my Master shake His head as well when I walk unseeing past signs He puts in my path? Does He sigh when I fail to see His beautiful creation splashed right before my eyes? Does He chuckle to Himself and wonder, "what will it take to get Evelyn to notice and respond to my direction for her life?"

We come full circle and back to the house; we walk about an hour. It's warmer now, and the coolness of the house feels good. Rain is predicted for the weekend. We may not get to walk since the conditions won't be right, besides I'll be busy with other things. Lucie will 'invite' me to go, sitting by the door with her tail thumping the floor, but I'll say no. What does my Master think when He invites, and I turn Him down because the timing's not right or I have other things to do? Lucie quietly retreats when her invitation isn't accepted, but she always comes back to invite again. I hope my Master will as well.