Charity for Charity, II

It is cold in the little woods. My eyes shut against the day. I fret in darkness. Make lists of all the things undone.

And then, what feels like an invitation. "Come on, open your eyes."

I do.

I do, only to see bright red berries on the thorn bush. An embrace of golden-red light laid 'round the base of the pine. How can I tell You what this does to my heart? It is a moment, a warmth, a comfort, perhaps a promise before dusk.

Lord, send such promises to my dear Charity. Give her strength to glance, and take it in. Charity for Charity... Your Presence made real in some simple moment. Your comfort in embrace.


Charity for Charity, I

Twice Given

I talked to Charity yesterday. So, so good to hear her voice. What could I say? We chatted about all things physical— the pain of her cancer, the never-ending complications. We talked about my book. (God bless her, she wanted to talk about me.) I wanted to give something to her. A snippet of prayer.

The night before, I'd been reading A Sacred Sorrow, reading the Davidic Laments section. This is where I took my little thread of prayer from, the little raggedy bit of hope that I wanted to extend across all the miles between us.

Then this morning, I came downstairs and my bible was open on the table. It was open and the little prayer snippets I'd seen in Card's book were there, underlined and staring up at me from the page. So now, these are the prayers, twice given to me and shared yesterday with Charity... and I turn them back to you, Yahweh, Mighty God...

Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God....

But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hand..." (Psalm 31:5, 14-15)