Excuses, Excuses

It's raining. It's 9pm and it's been raining since 8am. DFW airport was evacuated around noon. I've never heard of that happening before! Two of the Community Colleges closed due to high water. I missed a traffic snarl on the drive home. All of this rain should bring a prayer to mind.

But it doesn't.

Instead I'm thinking of all the excuses that keep me from doing what I need to do. I was working on a newspaper ad for the Easter services this week. I was going to turn it in last Wednesday when I left work early. I stayed too long at Sams. Then I forgot after the dinner. When was the deadline? What was the size? Where is that number? The newspaper calls me! I'm off to a meeting. The newspaper calls me again today with an extension. We started working at 3:50pm with a 4pm deadline. There's the easy way, and then there's the hard way.... Guess how this skull got so dense. Could it be hitting brick walls instead of using the door???

My prayer for the congregation?

I pray that excuses fall like the rain today, joining overflowing creeks of those who have let excuses be swept away. I pray that we renew our purpose and remember our covenant when the rainbow and sun appear. Help us to set aside all the distractions and quiet the voices of dissent that keep us from you and help us to follow more closely to your vision and your will in our own lives, in the life of the congregation, to reach out to the community around us, and to seek peace for all nations. Amen.