A morning meditation...

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.”
~ Psalm 18:1

An early morning call started the morning.  One of my coworkers letting me know a patient had died.  I made my way to the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee and then went to the patio to sit, listen to the waterfall in our pond, and watch a number of birds celebrate that our bird feeder was full of seed.

The sea fog has been so thick the last few mornings, and everything seems to be dripping from the moisture that enveloped everything.  Even the petals of flowers are folded backwards under the weight of the water.  It is peaceful. 

A friend who recently lost his mother texts, and he begins to ask, "When will I ever feel normal again?"

I am drawn into his conversation, and I begin to remember the first time I met her, and how she told me, "You don't have a mom down here in Texas?  I'll be your mom."  Years before I actually met her, I prayed for her when my friend shared that his mom was going to die without a lung transplant.  Then she was on a  waiting list for a lung transplant, while living moment by moment in the hospital.  The excitement that we had when she received her lungs, and then celebrated when she was able to once again walk without growing weary.

My mind was brought back to the moment as it began to rain, and when the birds took flight all at once, creating a thunderous sound from the initial flap of their wings.  

I realize that I long for moments like these, when peace overwhelms my thoughts and the world.  Again I am reminded that I hunger and thirst for a time like now.

To my God, whom words cannot begin to describe,
You have given to me hunger –
And at the table You have given sweet bread to satisfy me,
When my parched body thirsts –
You pour yourself out to quench my soul.
Can it be that I actually hunger and thirst for you?
Can it be that in each moment of my life You can give to me complete satisfaction?

Living water and bread of life,
Give me determination in my seeking,
Persistence in my walk,
Honesty in my questioning,
So that when I kneel before You
And utter my words to You
Do not allow cloned images to serve as symbols
Of substitute for that which You
Truly have for me.

Help me each day to reflect on
Every word inspired in Scripture –
The cruelty found in the world
And the misery of death, 
The marvel of divine love
And the life found in Christ –
Until my very center spirit that inspires my life
Expands and I begin to understand.

O benevolent God,
The beyond who is among us,
You have given to me hunger –
And at the table You have given sweet bread to satisfy my pain,
When my parched body thirsts –
You pour yourself out to quench my soul.

Help me to live out my life through my prayers,
Learning to trust You more conscientiously,
And abide with more faithfully.
Then will I discover that my thirsting spirit
Will give way to new growth;
In the times of wondering in life’s wilderness
You will once again provide manna;

In my seeking
I shall find You.
In this time of great revelation
You will possess all of me and reveal Yourself completely,
And at that moment,
I shall truly rest, hunger and thirsting no more.

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2020