My Thoughts on Pressing Forward
Help me circumvent the foolishness of the aged.
If the embers of my first love for You are growing cold,
Fan them into flame by Your Holy Spirit.
When You see me playing in the spiritual shallows,
Beckon me out of the wading pool into deep waters.
When the noise of my activity drowns out Your still small voice,
Quiet me to wait on You in contemplative silence.
If I feel bogged down in seemingly meaningless routine,
Turn the plain water of my daily life into “the best wine saved until last.”
If the soil of my life is depleted and lies fallow,
Break up the clods, supply fresh nutrients, and make straight my furrows.
When my prayers seem unanswered and my spirit is arid,
Open the floodgates for Your Rivers of Living Water to flow again.
When I tend to resist change and settle in my comfort zone,
Grant me an open spirit and a growing, receptive mind.
When my leaves are withered and limp and my fruit is scanty,
Revive me to “flourish like the palm tree” and be “full of sap and very green.”
If I’ve lost my get up and go,
Show me how to “rise, take up my bed and walk.”
Where my life is out of balance and I lose my footing,
Help me restore eternal priorities to keep me from stumbling.
When my vision of Your Kingdom has grown dim,
Help me re-focus my eyes on Your destiny for me.
If I’ve become slow of speech to declare Your message,
Open my lips to boldly proclaim Your Good News.
If it seems difficult to hear Your voice clearly,
Send Your Holy Spirit to be my hearing aid.
If my mind and memory begin to slip,
Help me remember that You never leave me or forsake me.
When I am weary from the length of life’s journey,
Draw me close to Your heart where I find comfort and rest.
If I’m laboring to bear scarcely 30-fold fruit,
Teach me to abide in You to effortlessly produce 100-fold for Your glory.
Where some good seed of Your Word still lies dormant as I advance in years,
Send the gentle latter rain of Your Holy Spirit for an abundant late harvest.
When I am tired and lack motivation to press on,
Restore iron to my soul, strength to my weak knees and limp arms.
When I drag my feet to do Your will,
Energize me with the adrenalin of Your Spirit.
When I am short of breath from life’s fast pace,
Inflate my lungs with Your Breath of Life.
If material possessions try to grip me too tightly,
Teach me to hold loosely the things of this world.
If I open my mouth to speak foolish words,
Show me how to put a watch on my lips.
When I am depressed by the darkness around me,
Take my hand to walk with You in Your Light.
When my emotions roller coaster out of control,
Teach me to set my affection on things above not on things of earth.
When anxiety about the future threatens to overwhelm me,
Remind me of Your great faithfulness in years past.
When I think I’ve reached the limit of my endurance,
Help me persevere in Your strength to run the last mile Home.
If my appetite becomes jaded by the world’s junk food,
Give me Yourself as my Daily Bread in the Eucharist.
When thoughts of my mortal end cause me to fear,
Assure me that You are preparing a Place for me in Your Father’s House.
Leona Choy
# END
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