What We Need is Here. Today.

Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.
Wendell Berry

There are endless things in this world that seem consistent and certain to me, such as the coming of spring, the turning of the tide, or the assurance that the  sun will rise tomorrow as surely as it will set tonight.

Other things seem so ever changing and daunting. A friends gets cancer, there are the ever plaguing job insecurities we all face, or the surprising nature of relationships: you think you know someone almost as well as you know yourself, and for whatever reason, you discover the true nature of your friendship and the ground shifts, the place you thought you stood on so securely now seems unstable. It’s frightening.

For years now I’ve found great comfort in praying through The Lord’s Prayer.  I meditate and chew through each line, savoring the structure and the wholeness contained in it. I remember a time when I was worried about something – probably money, something to do with provision and the fear of scarcity, the overwhelming terror there would not be enough for me, that I would be left out. As I moved through the prayer to Give us this day, our daily bread …. I had this moment of overwhelming clarity: God has what I need. God has wisdom and grace, kindness and creativity, love and power, strength and self-control, truth and mercy in abundance. Always. He is outside of time. His reservoir never runs dry. And God steps into time and meets us right where we are without reservation. We can abandon our lives into his good care. Today.

However, in order to receive we must quiet our hearts and minds and still the clamor surrounding us in order to see and recognize God’s counter-intuitive ways. His ways are higher. His knowledge is unfathomable. His love is endless. Surely, if God cares for the sparrow and see when it falls, God has more than enough for me. What I need is here. Today.

Grant me the serenity to see your provision, the courage to receive from your hand, and the wisdom to move into the sacred promises of this ancient faith. Today.