Susan’s Thursday Note July 11, 2013
Quotes on Prayer. Writing on prayer found in a used book donation to the store.
Good morning. Such stillness. The beauty of the morning. Another gift from our angel of dawn. Letting us experience life for another morning. Always handed to us with the gift of hope. I’m in the middle of a dear book by Gene Stratton Porter, The Harvester. One line I read tonight was encouragement to a young woman who was in the midst of hardship and didn’t trust anyone. “The Harvester” says to her, “Don’t worry a minute. After things have gone wrong for a certain length of time, they always veer and go right a while as compensation. Don’t think of anything save that you are at the turning…” A few pages later words describing the encouragement from a bird call, “Wipe out all the past that has pain in it. The future is going to be beautifully bright. That little bird on the bush there just told me so, and you are always safe when you trust the weathered folk. If you are going to live in the country any length of time, you must know them, for they will become a great comfort…” These are the same words I imagine our angel of dawn giving us as she hands us our new day.
Last week the following note was found in one of your donated books. The handwriting a beautiful script. A beautiful moment. The description of prayer for this woman. Who knows who she was. What stories she held in her head as she wrote these words. I can’t resist typing them out for you. At the end of today’s note you can see the pictures of this note. Our treasure for this week. What picture do you have of who wrote this? An older woman with thin fingers slowly and neatly writing out these words?
We can come at any hour to pray for any need and open our hearts before him. God not only listens. He’s promised to help us. He’s promised to guide us and to provide for our every need.
What a privilege it is to pray. May God help us to discover the full beautiful experience of prayer. Not a work, not a task, not a burden nor an obligation, but the most joyous privilege in the world.
Prayer:
Our Father who arrays in beauty the flowers of the field, and feed the birds of the air. We are thankful that we know thee. And we thank thee for thy presence with us this afternoon. Bless our church. The minister & workers in the church. We ask that you be with those who are ill and can’t be with us this afternoon. Pardon our sins and strengthen us as we try to serve thee. For Jesus sake. Amen.
Our Father Which art in Heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive our sinners. And lead us not into temptations, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. Mahatma Gandhi
In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Then you will know that you are nothing. It is only when you realize your nothingness, your emptiness, that God can fill you with Himself. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence. Mother Teresa
Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,
What matters beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?Hold us quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent and the wind is shrill :
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, are in it;
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,
What matters beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee?Hold us quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent and the wind is shrill :
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, are in it;
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?
Amy Carmichael
Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen. St. Thomas Aquinas
Thank you for letting me enter your world again this Thursday morning. Another gift. Another day. Will we notice this little butterflies? Will we take a second to pet the purring friend trying to crawl onto our keyboard? Will we give ourselves the gift of a few moments alone in the quiet with nothing turned on? Will we step outside and let the birds encourage us? The birds that see all from a different perspective throughout the day from above? Will we remember the sand timer? How only one grain can get through at a time, to slow down as each grain passes? Time. The winds. Passing constantly. Can we catch the moments and turn the gift into a treasure? Tonight we will be able to write on our stone an epitaph for the moments we will never get back coming to us today. Regardless of our circumstances, will we make the day worthy of the gift? Worthy of inscription? Have a beautiful end of the week. Little gifts. Created for your pleasure. Let’s take the time to be thankful. Life is so beautiful. Susan
Latin for this week:
Beneficium – privilege
Votum – prayer, wish, desire, promise to God.