To Bear Witness
Margaret Polly of Salem, OR, USA
I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. -Psalm 18:1-3a
The little boy was crying, “I don\’t want to be here!” I didn’t doubt it. He was, after all, lying on the floor of the lobby in the children’s hospital. His father standing over him looked as if he didn’t want to be there either. Although strangers to me, I stood nearby as silent witness to their experience.
The mother in me wanted to rush in, take him in my arms and try to fix it. I knew that I would feel better afterward. But so often we are not called to rescue but to companion others on the journey, as God companions us. To bear witness, to be present, to say as God would say, “You are not alone. I see you. I hear you. I am with you.”
It was fascinating to observe the energy leave his body as he flailed around and cried. Then gradually the energy returned as he caught his breath, relaxed, and calmed himself.
When he was at last quiet, I knelt down beside him. I told him I was proud of the way he calmed himself. It had probably been a rough day, and I admired his strength and tenacity. Then, because I am a mother, I reached into my bag and offered him a toy car (which I carry for just this kind of ministerial opportunity).
The look he gave me was priceless. It said, “You saw me. You heard me. You were with me. You didn’t judge me.”
I expend a great deal of my energy flailing around in my life hoping God will come along and fix it. At times I, too, want to cry and say, “I don’t want to be here!” I have had to learn and re-learn that the work of God is to help me find the energy to endure and persist. God’s presence is enough.
May the love of God, the teachings of Jesus, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit companion us and be alive in us is my prayer.
Prayer Phrase
“Your mercies are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22-23, adapted).
Spiritual Practice
Ordinary Time is a season for noticing the details of life that make up its substance. This month, we invite you to pay attention with each fresh morning to the gift of being alive. Before getting out of bed, take a few deep breaths and notice what it feels like to wake up in your own body. Engage the tasks of your unfolding day with reverence-brushing your teeth, making the bed, pouring the coffee, tending the kids, feeding the animals, making breakfast, etc. Notice the presence of the Holy in every ordinary thing. Embrace your daily routines with sacramental significance. Notice how long you can do this before your attention is taken away, and commit to returning to this simple awareness as gently and often as you can.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
