Inspiration

I am happy to share another wonderful piece that Theresa brought to staff meeting yesterday:

“Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language.  Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.”

by Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903 in Letters to a Young Poet.

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A Servant’s Prayer
by Judy Payne

Lord, give me eyes clear enough to see the hurt in the world,
      Ears perceptive enough to hear your call…
      A brain wise enough to figure a solution
      A voice loud enough to tell of the need
Feet determined enough to seek out the alleys of misery and despair
      Hands sensitive enough to hug, hold and heal
     A heart strong enough to endure the struggle
And a spirit thankful enough to ask, “What more may I do.”

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“Me and my son are forever grateful for a wonderful stay.  You were there when no one else could be.  It was such a relief when we walked through your doors.  My stress lessened and the fog started to clear. I would love to give back and volunteer.  Thank you so much.”

(a letter from a family who lived here recently.)

  Oscar Romero Prayer

It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

-Oscar Romero

“Kids can walk around
trouble,
if there is someplace to
walk to,
and someone to walk with.”
From Urban Sanctuaries
by Milbrey W. McLaughlin, et al

Words Children Love to Hear…

I Love You!
Great Work!
Thank you very much!
You’re such a great kid!
Keep up the good work!
I have such a fun time being with you !
How are you doing today?
I would love for you to help me with this.
I can tell you’ve been working really hard lately.
I’m proud to know that you are doing your best.
What do you think about…
Now I see your point.
Moms and Dads can make mistakes, too.
We have rules because we care about your safety.
What I love about you is…
You are an important part of my life.
Let’s spend some special time together.
I know I’ve been buy lately, but I’m never too busy for you.
You really outdid yourself.
Good for you!
You are doing a super job!
Your’re a good friend because you…
I’m glad you’re here.