Till Compassion Is My Inner Way
Cindy Gardner of Columbia, MO, USA
I will talk to my heart in the stillness.
I will talk to my heart when I pray.
I will let go of all my resentment,
till compassion is my inner way.
Trust the stillness. Trust the oneness.
Trust the way of inner prayer.
Trust the stillness. Trust the oneness.
Trust the life of God we share.
I will watch all my thoughts in the stillness.
I will watch all my thoughts when I pray.
I will watch all the stream of my thinking,
till compassion is my inner way.
I will dwell in the space of my oneness.
I will dwell in the space when I pray.
I will let go of all my divisions,
till compassion is my inner way. -William Livingstone Wallace, xc2xa9 2011 Selah Publishing Company, Inc., Community of Christ Sings 168
A few years ago I found myself trapped where I didn’t want to be with a person who needed a lot of compassion. I was angry and frustrated because I felt as though the person had brought part of the problems on herself and I was inconvenienced because of it.
Fortunately, a short time before this incident I had been learning some of the new hymns and came across this one. I had learned it well enough that the phrases came to mind as I dealt with the difficult situation. The hymn helped me act compassionately even though my feelings were misaligned.
Knowing hymns and using them to help me live is a gift I received from my mother. She knows hymns and uses them to help her, and she had the perseverance and patience to sit beside me on the piano bench until I learned to play enough to enjoy the hymns myself. I am thankful to her every time I play, especially at church.
Prayer Phrase
“Attention is the beginning of devotion” (Mary Oliver).
Spiritual Practice
Holy Attention
Spend a few moments paying attention, wherever you are. Notice your surroundings. What draws your focus? Look more closely at detail and color. Notice what pulls or prods within you. How is the God-in-all-things speaking to you through what you see and feel right here, right now?
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.
