Casting a wide net

Paul's letter to the Romans tells us " the spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is in the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God.  Upon reading Paul's letter to the Romans I was once again reminded of two poems, The Difference (author unknown) and Footprints (Mary Stevenson). I first came across these poems in the gift shop in Canterbury Cathedral and they hung side by side in my room above my alter for years until time had crumbled and faded them. I share them with you here:

THE DIFFERENCE

I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day. I had so much to accomplish that I didn't have time to pray. Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task. "Why doesn't God help me?" I wondered. He answered, You didn't ask," I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak. I wondered why God didn't show me. He said, "But you didn't seek.: I tried to come into God's presence. I used all my keys at the lock. God gently and lovingly chided, "My child, you didn't knock." I woke up early this morning and paused before enter the day. I had so much to accomplish that i had to take time to pray.
Author: UNKNOWN

Footprints in the Sand

One night I had a dream.

I dreamed I was walking along the beach
with the Lord..

Across the sky flashed scenes from my life..
For each scene, I noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand,
one belonging to me, and the other to the Lord..

When the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life
there was only one set of footprints.
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life.

This really bothered me 
and I questioned the Lord about it:
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most 
troublesome times in my life 
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why 
when I need you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied:
"My precious child, I love you and would
never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints, it was then
that I carried yo



by Mary Stevenson

Praying is a tricky business. Some people don't pray, I think because like the speaker in Footprints, they don't believe that God answers prayers because they have experienced too much pain and suffering in their lives to believe God exists anymore. Like Jesus on the cross they ask "My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" Still others have turned away from the church because they feel Christianity has become less about a personal relationship with God and more about getting some kind of insurance that you will get into heaven. If you do XYZ then you get a ticket to heaven. But the kingdom of heaven isn't up there or out there somewhere in space, unattainable until you die. The kingdom of Heaven is allowing God to come into your heart. However, like the speaker in The Difference, we don't often take the time to pray, we don't take the time needed to allow our Spiritual life to grow. However, if we cast a wide net and see what speaks to our heart. Psalm 105:4 says "Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore." A

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