Tag Archives: prayer

One Thing

Darkness descended midmorning
with a major storm hanging in
the air.

Distant thunder is no longer
distant squeezing us from
all sides.

Well call me Noah!

It is a torrential downpour
with no end in sight. I must
turn on a light in here.

I got a severe thunderstorm
watch then a flash flood warning
and a special weather statement.

My phone is ringing off the hook!
Well, dinging like crazy. I know.
Phones don’t do that anymore.

I always wanted to say that;
because my phone didn’t ring
then and rarely rings now.

You try not to worry but these
are the things you worry about
with loved ones on the road.

My wife drove her sister for a
scheduled surgery before this
storm hit.

Her drive back will be a tough
one. It goes without saying but
it is out of my hands.

Storms like this are subtle red
flags to remind us that we are
not in control. God is.

It just happens that way and
there is nothing one can
do about it.

Well there is one thing. Prayer.
Pray to God for their safety.
And pray some more.

Spiritual Sense

You are in a sailboat
out on the water far
from the familiar.

The wind ceases. It is
so quiet you can hear
yourself thinking.

The only other sound
is the water slapping
the sides of the boat.

You pray.

Common sense would
dictate that you row
the boat home.

You can if you want.
Faith grows choice by
choice.

Spiritual sense would
dictate that you wait.
You choose to wait

and pray.

There came a whisper.
“Sail on, sail on.” Then
came the wind.

Between Fall and Winter

a calm day that called me to prayer
one of those between fall and winter
the air is cool and the sun is warm

it turned into the perfect day for my
imperfect prayers made perfect for
God’s ears by His Spirit so know that

God always hears all our prayers

I added my most personal prayers to
the Blessed Mother because there are
times when our faith like the day was

floating in the air up and down
somewhere between fall and winter

With Summer

from the get-go today
there were no clouds

a slight wind and the
sun was strong all day

if it weren’t for the
heater kicking on you

would think it was
still summer well it

looks like it but I had
to wear a coat to go

out to check the mail
I told myself I was

warm enough but they
say tonight will be the

first freeze of winter

I pray all the pestilence
on our planet will perish

with summer

Odds and Ends 3.20

Until now it was a lazy day.
The wind has doubled or more
and the sun is in full retreat.

I better hurry if I want to make
my window for a late afternoon
cup of coffee.

I made a 10 oz cup instead of a
12 oz cup to have enough room
for cream as I decided to try

a cup with cream only. Funny, I
like a double espresso with
sugar. But regular old coffee

black kills my taste for coffee.
I took a sip and put it down.
When I picked it up again, there

was a tiny bug floating in the
cup who didn’t like the coffee
either.

So much for my Plan A. No time
for a Plan B if I had one today.
I guess it is time for me to start

cooking dinner. I am baking
chicken legs. Why chicken legs?
It is the only fresh meat in the

fridge that was dropped from
our scaled down Thanksgiving
menu. We already cut back

on the variety of food and
will cook less of everything.
Instead of for twenty, it will

be for ten, but in reality five.
We just went to back to Phase 2
this afternoon. So the few who

might have come will now get
curbside delivery service. All
wearing masks of course.

At any rate, there will still be
more leftovers than usual.
Turkey and ham will abound

for a good week or so. You have
heard it before, “Be safe, not
sorry.” It is hard to plan with

COVID. Things change quickly.
But we can plan to pray.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Give thanks and pray.

Answers

I sat out back while I burned
a pile of wood debris that has
been wet since February.

This week of sun was my only
chance before the next big
tropical storm rolls in on Friday.

I sat there with an Oliva Master
3 Blend, 5 x 54, in my hand. It
is the third of four in a gift set

from Father’s Day last year.
Obviously, when I stopped
smoking cigars and pipes in

1976, I did not know I was going
to get this gift. Since I was alone
in the back, I thought it was a

good time to talk to God about
the questions on my heart. He
didn’t seem to mind the cigar.

He is a good listener as I did
most of the talking. Well, all of
the talking actually.

I got up a few times to check the
fire and killed two ant hills along
the edge of the patio.

God was still listening. I know
what you want to ask. Did I get
any answers. Not today. Soon.

In God’s time, I will. I asked big
questions; so I expect big answers.
If you ask, you will get an answer.

Not to worry. Long after the last
cigar is gone, God will hear me
and give me answers.

Tomorrow

I was watching the
wind’s last playful
tug on the

disappearing day
wondering about
what tomorrow

might bring when
the phone rang. It
was the sound of

desperation looking
for work. My words
of “don’t lose hope”

seemed so empty
after the call. Maybe
not to him but to me.

All I could do was
pray about tomorrow.
Hope for tomorrow.