May I Have a Word, God?

I won't belabor the point, but 2011 has not been particularly kind to us thus far. It happens from time to time that while I am out enjoying my morning exercise the time becomes more about reflection than working up a sweat. On those occasions I look forward to getting to Vaughn Road Park so I can let down my guard: with no traffic to monitor I can start the act of praying with every footfall.


Not always, of course. Sometimes I mutter things under my breath at other people in the park who are meandering 3 abreast, blocking the path entirely. 


I am only human, most of the time.


Yesterday morning on my walk, however, the park was nearly devoid of such and I was not pushing myself physically at all, so I uttered this prayer as I was getting ready to round the second bend.

I don't like to ask for signs, God.

I'm so grateful that the worst of our worries are 

only about money, and not about our children, 

or our health, or any fresh grief.

But just because I'd like to have some 

encouragement from You, would You please, 

just this once, let me have some word from You?

My heart is open wide. 

It might well do to explain here that Vaughn Road Park is one of those well-intentioned city projects that not only has a really nice walking path, it also has exercise stations at intervals along the way. I don't use these, and rarely pay attention to them unless some brave soul is actually using one of them. Most are dilapidated; some lack the built-in equipment that they used to have. I wish the city would do something about this, but I know times are hard, so I'm not holding my breath.

But yesterday? Right after that prayer? I espied something out of the corner of my eye -- movement of some sort that I suppose was a bird because there was no person there -- and turned my head to the left.

And saw this. 

Go ahead - laugh.

I did.

And then I said,

Thank you, God.