Monday, May 4, 2015

Open our hearts

Heavenly Father,
help me remember
that the one who cut me off
in traffic is a single mother,
worked nine hours that day,
is rushing home to cook dinner,
help with homework,
do the laundry and
spend a few precious moments
with her children.

Help me to remember
that the pierced, tattooed,
disinterested young man
who struggles to make change correctly
is a worried 19-year-old college student,
balancing his apprehension
over final exams
with his fear of not getting
his student loans
for next semester.

Remind me, Lord,
that the scary looking man,
begging for money
in the same spot every day
is a slave to addictions
that I can't even imagine
in my worst nightmare.

Help me
to remember
that the old couple
walking annoyingly slow
through the store aisles,
blocking shopping progress
are savoring this moment,
knowing that,
based on the biopsy report
she got back last week,
this will be the last year
that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, 
remind us each day that,
of all the gifts You give us, 
the greatest gift is love. 
It is not enough 
to share that love 
with those we hold dear.

Open our hearts, 
not to just those 
who are close to us, 
but to all humanity. 
Let us be slow to judge, 
quick to forgive, 
showing patience, 
empathy and love.

Lord,
May it be so 
in my life today.
Amen.

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