December 6, 2022
Thought for Today
"Autobiographies ought to begin with Chapter Two."
Ellery Sedgwick [1872-1960]
The Happy Profession [1946] Chapter 1
Saturday, December 10, 2022
December 6, 2022
Reflection
MY WILL BE DONE
Is the most basic prayer these 4 words: "My will be done?"
The little baby does what it does: eats, poops, cries, smiles, wants, wants, wants.
It keeps reaching out.
I try to get the baby to smile.
She just stares at me.
I do my little tricks.
There is no reaction - no reaching. She looks elsewhere. Then she yawns or yanks.
Then she looks elsewhere.
I get nowhere.
The teenager gets yelled at - warned - disciplined - pressured.
Still she won't budge.
We say behind her back, "Wow is she stubborn." Or, "She has a will of her own."
The young couple struggle - each wanting what they want - each give trade-offs - so as to get what they want.
Marriage is a covenant - the blending of wills - and wants- and needs.
Then somewhere along the line, we discover, we are not able to control the universe - life - others - drivers - our own children
Death - sickness - the teacher - the boss - traffic - a noisy neighbor - a pushy mother-in-law - a crafty fellow worker - a manipulator - whoever - wherever it happens - forces us to our knees - to the tightening of our fists - and jaw and we have to mutter, "I'm not God, I guess I'm not in control."
Maybe we add, "Maybe you aren't either.
Like those rodeo horses, life is breaking me.
At some point I run into the reality of God and I say, "God you have a will of your own, don't you?"
At some point, we finally realize I guess this is what it means to say, "Thy will be done."
[July 23, 2008]
Saturday, December 3, 2022
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