October 14, 2012

When I went out to shake the rugs this morning it was more like spring than fall, so many birds chirping and conversing, and generally making a lovely musical racket!  The sky is falling, from the clear pale blue when I got up, it's falling into white clouds and thicker and diminishing the sun to a smooth even shadowing over all.  You can still see the blue above but it's fading fast as the cloud clump like so much instant pudding being stirred by the wind.

Sometimes I find the Sunday blessing on Wednesday as I did this week and keep it and reread it until I send it this morning.  I love this morning's blessing because while remembering the needs of the body, it also prays for the needs of the mind, prays for bread and insight . . .


The Blessings of Earthiness: The Next Step

Hawvlan lachma d'sunqanan yaomana

(KJV version: Give us this day our daily bread)

Grant what we need each day in bread and insight:

subsistence for the call of

growing life.

Give us the food we need to grow

through each new day,

through each illumination of life's needs.

Let the measure of our need be earthiness:

give all things simple, verdant,

passionate.

Produce in us, for us, the possible:

each only-human step toward home

lit up.

Help us fulfill what lies within

the circle of our lives: each day we ask

no more, no less.

Animate the earth within us: we then

feel the Wisdom underneath

supporting all.

Generate through us the bread of life:

we hold only what is asked to feed

the next mouth.

Grant what we need each day in bread and insight.

 Neil Douglas-Klotz  

Yep a good prayer, grant what we need in bread AND insight.  And believe me, I need a lot of insight!  I like the idea of each only human step toward home lit up, light seems to be especially important to me, after seeing dimly for so long I am flooded by light, and animate the earth within us, if we knew the earth like we know our homes, and it is our home, we would easier find the greater Wisdom, don't you think?  Take only what you need and leave the rest, is a hard lesson to learn, we all have so many wants that when we are given what we need we look around for more, and sometimes feel that we are not getting our share.  I am not sure what my share is, but I am sure I am not sharing enough, and sometimes need to be reminded that we have so much already.  Today when I order beads from Beads for Life for my class coming up, I will be reminded that such a small thing as buying beads from these women gives them so much!  I use them so the students can be introduced to how even small businesses set up to actually give the profits back to people who make what they sell can create such a difference in lives and futures, and to help them realize we live in a global community, and what benefits one helps us all.

Make your own prayers this Sunday, and I hope the greater Wisdom grants us all bread and insight!