A Concord Pastor Comments: Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 5/17

Promises, promises, promises...

I'm pretty good at making promises
- not so good at keeping them...

I make promises to God
   and promises to others
       and promises to myself
and when I make them,
   I really mean to keep them,
       every one of them

but way too often - I don't...

I stall.
I put things off.
I "forget."
I tell myself, "I can't."
I just don't get around to it...

Sometimes, I promise

too much,

too soon,

too often,
too quickly...

And sometimes I make promises I can't keep
even if and when I try
- and then I get discouraged...

And so I pray,

   Lord, help me with my promises today:
        help me keep them simple,
       help me keep them modest,

help me keep them honest,

help me keep them doable,
O Lord - just help me keep them!

And here's some promises I want to make today...

I promise to spend some time in prayer today, Lord:
   just you and me, in a quiet place,
   where I'll share with you
   what's in my heart and on my mind...

I promise to find a way to help someone today:
   to lend a hand, give my time, listen closely,
   offer comfort, pay a visit, make a call,
   help the poor or shelter someone's pain...

And I promise to be honest with myself about:
   one bad habit, one undone task,
   one unpaid debt, one unreturned favor,
   one unanswered call and yes: one unkept promise...