Traveling Intentions

At the beginning of a New Year, I want to share a poem I wrote several years ago that ponders the journey through life. It's a prayer with four sections, each of which begin with a simple petition.  It's written from the point of view of "us" not just "me" in recognition that we do not journey alone, but that others are on this journey too.

Traveling Intentions
by Nancy Gerst, 2008

Lord, protect us from

Arriving on the Golden Side of River Jordan

And finding--as we dog-like disperse the

Waters of baptismal death--

That we've arrived holding tightly to a

Suitcase full of good intentions.

Things we Meant to Do with

Greatest of Goodwill

And kindest, loving thoughts

But never moved toward the doing of

With gritting purpose,

Flinging aside delays and excuses

And stony mountains of impasse

With determination to give Glory to God

As long as we lived and moved and

Had our being in Him.

Help us Lord to arrive with

Battered, bursting, dinged up satchel

Overflowing with humble, loving

Acts of devotion aimed at

Fulfilling our call to love you

With all our heart, soul, mind, and strength

And our neighbors too.

Remind us daily

That you help us carry this

Valise of the Light Burden

And pick us up when we stumble

Over rocky terrains of

Forbidding days

And shed light on all the

Dark Corners where

Spiders of Death lurk

Waiting to give us a great fright

And suck out our joy.

Give us a vision of Jesus,

The Champion Rider,

Who circles us round,

Protecting our small, stained

Vessel of gifts for you,

Gilding them with holy,

Blood-stained Glory,

Intent on ushering us into Your Kingdom,

Tattered or intending-to-be-so,

Or unaware of which we are,

But all the same

Received by recognition

Of the Holy Mark

Writ on us and across

Your hands that pull in the reigns

And settles us into

That unending place of peace and joy

Where all we do is

Real and Present

And unfulfilled dreams

Have ceased to exist.

Thomas Cole, PUBLIC DOMAIN via Wikipaintings 

Study for Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey

~ ~ ~

MUSIC LINK

Two favorites that I'll share again as they complement this poem so well. 

PILGRIM'S HYMN by Stephen Paulus 

AS WITH ROSY STEPS THE MORN - from Handel's opera Theodora
Here is the text for this one ...

Irene
Ah! Whither should we fly, or fly from whom?
The Lord is still the same, today, for ever,
And his protection here, and everywhere.
Though gath'ring round our destin'd heads
The storm now thickens, and looks big with fate,
Still shall thy servants wait on Thee, O Lord,
And in thy saving mercy put their trust.
 

As with rosy steps the morn,
Advancing, drives the shades of night,
So from virtuous toil well-borne,
Raise Thou our hopes of endless light.
Triumphant Saviour, Lord of day,
Thou art the life, the light, the way!
As with rosy steps. . . da capo