Thursday, January 03, 2008

A Prayer for the New Year

For a couple of years I volunteered at a local nursing home in Southern Maryland. Once a month I joined a small group of residents for a Protestant worship service. It was simple but seemed to be of some encouragement to the attendees. All were over the age of 85 and most were suffering with some degenerative process.

There was a little piano in the room which was played by an equally little lady. If Francis could have stood at her full height she would have been only 4’ 10” but osteoporosis had taken its toll. She was so considerably less than 4’ that she could not be seen from the back side of the piano. But even her suffering could not deny her the joy of music. We had some very sweet times in music and Word.

During my second year with this little group Francis died. So the month following her death I took my portable keyboard along. I read some scripture and talked about Francis’ joy in music and prayed that her joy was being fulfilled in heaven.

Then we sang while I played the keyboard.
 
When I finished playing I shared my farewell wish, “I pray that you get better.”
 
One elderly gentleman replied, "I hope you get better, too." :-)

OK – this is my New Years prayer:

I pray that I will get better in 2008.
I pray that I will make my family will be happier, healthier and wiser.
I pray for peace in 2008. Peace with God and each other.
I pray that I will not forget that getting better is a result of BEING better; and that "being better" is directly connected to: service before self, integrity first and excellence in all I do.

Amen