Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Last Friday and Saturday my wife and I finally got most of our garden planted. We’ve had one for a number of years and have had both good and bad seasons. Like many, if everything were to come up, we would have enough to can and freeze and probably not buy any vegetables for the
year. Of course, not everything comes up and the rabbits and insects get their fill as well. The real reason though is that while I enjoy gardening, by mid-summer, the temperatures rise and the weeding that needs to be done gets’ put off until “tomorrow” when it will be cooler or I won’t be so stiff in the morning. It’s like I heard someone say many years ago, “we are going to start a procrastinators club, but we will wait until tomorrow.” I wonder how many others have “to-do
lists” whereas the day goes on, items just get pushed to the next day?
How often does this happen in our spiritual lives as well? We resolve to read the bible each day or to say morning or evening prayer, to read an edifying book and something comes up and we don’t do it that day, and so we vow we will catch up tomorrow. Of course, for many, that does not happen, and we begin to feel guilty to the point we think we never will, and we give up. If only we could truly consume the words of the Night Prayer from the New Zealand Prayer Book:
Lord,
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.
In your name, we pray.
Amen.
Peace,
Bryant+