Monday Morning Offering: 10/26

Morning Coffee by George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

The air conditioners are stowed away,

the boiler checked and ready for chilly nights.

My heavier jacket, gloves and knit cap

all stand by, ready to serve.

And then comes a day of bright sunshine

and temperatures in the 70's:

thank you, thank you, thank you Lord! 

You know how grateful I am for these bonus days:

these leftover almost-summer days

come to surprise me as fall’s first frost

makes ready to nip away my memories

of August and July…

Like putting on an old pair of pants

and finding a ten-spot in my pocket,

a warm day falls from your pocket, Lord:

an unexpected grace, a boon, a blessing,

the last taste of a season passing,

and a pledge what will come again...

The warmth of these bonus days

reminds of other ways you find to show me

that just when I think it’s all over

– it’s not…

There comes a gift, a wink, a hint from you

of one more day, one more chance,

one more reason for taking one more step

towards you and the peace you promise…

Lord, I pray your pocket’s filled with little gifts

just big enough to catch my eye, turn my head

and steal my heart away from hopelessness

just long enough for me to hear you whisper in my ear:

Hang in there...  

 you’re not alone… 

there’s another day…

I’m by your side all through the night 

until a new day comes…

take another step… 

trust for just a moment…

and know that I am with you without fail…

Surprise me with your grace, Lord,

with unexpected  gifts to bring me hope,

to guide me when I’m lost,

to lead me where I fear to go,

to give me strength for one more day,

one more night, one more hour,

one more step in your direction,

closer to your heart, your word,

your peace…

Surprise me with your grace, Lord,

and nudge me 'til I find the gifts

that come from your own hand…

Let no gift go unnoticed, Lord,

unseen, unheard, unopened…

When self-pity, envy, anger

keep me from what grace

you've dropped into my lap,

shake and wake me to your presence,

to the help you bring,

the help I need and want and pray for…

When I least expect and need you most,

surprise me like a summer’s day

that dawns in late October:

bathe me in your peaceful light and from within,

warm me with your presence…

I offer you my thanks this morning, Lord,

for gifts of grace that fall into my lap,

gently placed there by your hand,

in this and every season... 

October’s frost may come tonight,

tomorrow or the next day

and surely it will come before I want it –

but when it does, 

remind me of your pocketful of gifts

and all the ways you might surprise me with your love,

today and through the week ahead…

Amen.

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