Prayer for Getting Rich

Lord, Source of all that is good,
Creator and Sustainer of the universe,
Giver of awesome gifts and undeserved blessings,
Help me to be rich.
Shower me with enough
That I will no longer worry my way through each day,
But instead live in gratitude,
Cherishing my utter abundance.
Help me to have enough of this world’s treasures
That I may know the joy of sharing what I have,
Spreading it around instead of holding on tight.
Let me feel rich with wonder at the great mysteries,
Receiving each day with anticipation
Of the surprises you have in store for me.
Remind me that my wealth is best measured
In the love that I give and the love that I receive,
And that what I own are small things compared to
The splendor of the stars, the brightness of sunlight,
The joy of music, the sweetness of food,
And the glory of this amazingly beautiful world.
Teach me, Lord, to be content,
So that my heart may know peace even in lean times,
And so that my laughter and my joy
May add to the richness of those around me.
And when it is time to leave this world,
Let me go with a thankful heart, my Lord,
Knowing that, through you,
I have been rich indeed.
Amen.

--Timothy Haut, September 29, 2013

The Found Coin
        

Luke 15:8-10

The old woman bent
To grasp the shining coin
Glittering beneath her threadbare couch.
She rose from the floor,
Swept clean by her incessant search,
Then uttered a  thank you
To whatever angel
Had led her to a finding.
As her swollen knuckles wrapped
Around this single treasure,
A grin sprouted among the wrinkles
Of her face,
And then a laugh exploded.
"Lasagna for everyone!"  she giggled.
"Creme Brulee, or Death by Chocolate!"
She remembered the bottle of wine
Stashed behind the linens
After her son's wedding,
Grabbed it and flung open the door.
She waved it at the neighbors
Out in the yard raking leaves.
"Come on over,"  she yelled,
Dancing a jig on the porch.
"I'm having a party
And I can t have it without you!"
 
Jesus paused in his story.
"And that's what God is like
When he gets his hands on you."

--Timothy Haut, Sept. 15, 2013

Song at Summer's End

One day it is there:
A sound in the afternoon,
Played on one string
As if the whole world
Were ready to hear it.
Crickets deep in the greenery
Start the tune
And the trees hum along
A whispered memory
Of something heard for ages
In the days of shorter light
And golden leaves.
It is just the beginning of an old song,
Heard with the heart,
A song of change, regret,
Childhood left behind, lost love,
A wish for something not yet seen. 
The stars may hear it, too,
As great Orion rises
Like a hunter waking to a distant horn.
And somewhere a listening child
Hers this song at summer's end,
And will remember the ancient chord--
This long, yearning, tender sound--
For all the years to come.
Perhaps it is the first of all notes,
The music from creation's dawn,
The holy sound of change and promise,
The note which is sung by God
Whenever he dreams
Of something new.

--September 1, 2013