An Old Irish Blessing

I received this prayer card from a Catholic high school. It has this really nice old Irish blessing on it. I thought I would post it as my prayer this week, because it is definitely something for which I pray. I also wrote my own prayer in reaction - it is similar, but not identical. I guess you could say it is "inspired" by the blessing that I received in the mail.

Here is the original:

Give me a few friends
who will love me for what I am

And keep ever burning before my vagrant steps
the kindly light of hope

And though I come not within sight of the castle of the dreams
teach me to be thankful for life
and for times olden memories that are good and sweet

And may the evening's twilight find me gentle still.


Now here is my reaction:

Lord,

Grant me the love of friends who appreciate me for who I am
And help me to love and appreciate them.

Though I wander from your path, help me to hope
and to find my way home.

Though I may never achieve all that I wish,
Help me to achieve what you have planned for me.

Teach me to be thankful for your blessings
For the life that I am lucky to live
And for time and the wonderful memories I have created with the ones I love

And when I die, let me be satisfied with my life
a life of goodness and love.

Amen.

Baby Birds, Life, and God

Today I was outside doing yard work with my Mom, when one of my three little brothers runs over and announces, frantically, "A baby bird from the nest in the front yard! It's dead! It fell out of the tree!" My mom and I went to the front yard, and, sure enough, a dead baby robin was on the ground beneath the small tree. I looked up, and observed a sizeable hole in the bottom of the nest, in which I could see part of the only remaining baby bird poking out. We took the dead bird, and buried it in a hole in the woods, and my brothers went inside. I looked in distress at the baby bird who would surely meet the same fate soon, as long as the hole remained. I'd just worked for an hour and a half in the sun, hadn't eaten lunch yet, and was thirsty enough to drink an entire water bottle all on my own, yet something compelled me to try to help the remaining bird. I looked at my mom and she understood, and went to get a ladder, as I craned my neck to see the bird, making sure I would catch it if it fell. She came back with a ladder, and a piece of a cloth surgical mask. The cloth was big enough that I could slip it under the baby bird, to close up the hole, but then what was to stop it from falling down as soon as I took my hand away? I maneuvered as much as I could while on the ladder to find a suitable stick act like a bar and put across the cloth. This led to having to find something to secure the sticks, which tuned out to be rubber bands. At the end of the endeavor, I was sweating and panting with concentration in the heat of the day. When I was finally satisfied with my handiwork, and as I walked into my house, I wondered why I felt like I needed to do that. I'm currently planning for a party this Saturday, and have a thousand other things to do. Why did I feel the need to save one baby robin? As I wondered about this, I though about a book I recently read: "The Five People You Meet In Heaven," by Mitch Albom. It was a very thought-provoking and inspirational book, and I thought of a particular chapter, about life and death, and why people were so unerringly drawn to babies and funerals. The book said, "It is because the human spirit knows, deep down, that all lives intersect. That death doesn't just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives are changed." Now, the author wasn't talking specifically about baby birds, but the basic idea reminded me of the unexplainable desire to help the bird. It was helpless, innocent. And I had the power to save it, or at least to exert a little effort to try. The simple truth is, if we all took the time to give in to that little helpful desire, there'd be a few more baby birds alive in the world. And if more people applied that mindset to everyday situations, there'd be a few more tender hearts, too.

Thank You

My God,

Thank You for the air that I breathe,
for it gives me the ability to sing and bring music to those around me.

Thank You for the food and water you give me each day,
for it gives me energy and strength to wake up and enjoy a new day.

Thank you for the roof above my head and the clothes on my body,
for they both protect me and keep me warm.

And Thank You for Your kindness,
for You are the reason why I am alive.

Amen.

There are so many things to be thankful for such as presents, friends, a family, or even simple things like air. We never realize how lucky we are until we lose everything. Be thankful for what you have because you cannot have everything in the world. Everything you have right now is more than enough to live with.

Summer

Dear God,

Thank you for summer. For time to relax and sleep in. For time to spend with friends. For time to play sports. For time to laze around and watch TV. For time to learn something new. For time to play games. For time to do absolutely nothing. Thank you for the time that is summer. Help me to appreciate it, and to use it to its fullest. But also, please help me to spend time just relaxing and doing nothing, because sometimes, the ability to do that is the best part of summer.

Thank you.

Amen.

Summer is almost half over. I can't believe it. My summer was lazy and relaxing and pleasant at the beginning. Now it is full of things to do. Then it will be relaxing again...but only a short time after, it will be over, and I will be returning to school. I think its important to take a break to appreciate it.

Patience

This week I've been finding more than anything that I need to learn to be more patient. Though this has certainly not been the only week I've wished for more patience, its something I figure everyone needs to think a little more about trying to use and get better at sometimes. I once heard a quote- I regret to say I dont know from where-that went something like, "When we ask for patience, God doesnt just give us patience. He puts us in situations in which we need to demonstrate patience. That way we learn." I thought it was very wise, and it sort of got me thinking about patience in general. So, I wrote this prayer.

Lord,

Please help me to have the strength to demonstrate patience when I'm in the hardest situations, along with the smallest, everyday situations we face each and every day. Please give me the patience to deal with others; not only the strangers on the street, the kids at school, or even with my friends, but with my family most of all. Give me the wisdom to have patience with time, nature, and my lot in life; when i feel like things aren't going my way, and even when I feel like everything is right in my life. Also teach me to have patience with myself, as I learn and grow and mature in Your light, oh God.

Amen.

I Will Never

My God,

I will Never let the rain ruin my day
I will Never let the wind blow You away.
I will Never let a sickness keep me down
I will Never let a smile turn into a frown.
I will Never abandon my family or friends
I will Never see the world come to an end.

But most of all,
I will Never stop believing in You because
I love You with all my heart.
I go to You when I am happy
I go to You when I am sad.
I go to You when I am worried
I go to You when I am mad.
You are always there to help no matter what my mood is
And I am most grateful that You have patience to even listen to me.
Kneeling at Your presence I pray especially to Never take advantage of your kindness
for there is no greater gift in the world that could bring peace and harmony.

Amen.

Beauty

Dear God,

You are beautiful beyond belief
You made me in Your image
Help me to see that I am beautiful

Help me to see beauty in others
Beauty in the poor
Beauty in the angry
Beauty in the sad
Beauty in the joyful
Beauty in the merciful
Beauty in the merciless

Help me to be beautiful
Beautiful in my works
Beautiful in my words
Beautiful in my relationships
With my family
My friends
And You

Thank you for making me beautiful
Thank you for showing me beauty
Thank you for helping me know that I am beautiful

Amen.



Earlier this week, I saw a show, and they were talking about how beauty comes from within. I think that that is an important thing. I know it is a little bit cliche, perhaps, but I think it is true, and I am glad that people try to take the media image of beautiful and replace it with a beautiful image that is real and believable. I think that when you carry yourself with dignity and you are comfortable in your own skin, people will find you beautiful. That is what I find beautiful in people, that self-confidence and pride. And I think that God is the perfect person to ask for help to achieve that self-confidence and to be able to see yourself and others as beautiful and dignified.