The Prayer

On my trip to NYC we took a short stop at Trinity Church. Where the gold is hidden in that movie with Nicolas Cage.... It is an amazing little church. Being so busy on the trip and never being alone I stepped into a pew to pray and be quiet for a minute. A Book of Common Prayer called out to this Episcopal at heart girl and I flipped through the prayers in the back part. Sometimes there is just something comforting about reading prayers written many years ago that fit right into today's problems when you just don't have the words yourself. Right there with the prayers for evening, prayers for children, prayers for leaders, prayers at elections, prayers for your city  was this:

A Prayer attributed to St.Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love, where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy, Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled but to console; to be understood but to understand; to be loved but to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is is pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Oh yes Lord. Amen. I loved this prayer. It struck a string in my heart and I took a picture on my iPad. I wish I could live this way always instead of a few minutes here and there. I want this to be the prayer my heart prays. I want to blow it up big and hang it on every wall in my house. I want my children to pray it. Live it. Love it. Because when we are His this is what we are to be. His ambassadors. And this is how He loves us. And how He lived for us.