Century

I've been looking towards this marker for several weeks: 100 prayers. It seemed like it might be a logical place to re-evaluate what in the world I thought I could accomplish, how long I could continue, and what could be an exit strategy. The problem is that it sounded more like a military exercise and less like a spiritual exercise, and I was getting ahead of myself, expecting to need an out. In college I dropped more classes than the normal student. Well, what was I to do? I couldn't do a flip in trampoline which was a requirement for passing. I enjoy being in control of myself and having my head below my feet did not seem controllable. I had to drop my summer tennis class due to an illness. I dropped a Spanish class when they were concentrating on teaching slang and street-Spanish after I had spent years trying to learn to conjugate and speak correctly. Even though I've been married for over 25 years, employed not only in the same agency, but in the same office for over 25 years, I still feel like there is a quitter inside waiting to be unleashed. I have a wanderlust heart and with all of my stable anchors, there's an itch to have some escape hatch, even if it's claiming my release on daily praying. Really, what do I think I'm doing??? I'm editing and writing as if each prayer were a manuscript for a book deal. I'm keeping some goofy hours at times to meet imaginary deadlines. After all, how many different prayers can there be? 100 seemed like a safe goal, (further than I might have imagined!) 200 sounds odd, and if you aim for 3oo then you might as well go for 365. What's a reasonable goal? But that was looking ahead, predicting my response, anticipating the need for release; today I'm not ready to quit.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, 100 days in your eyes is but a blink of an eye. 100 years in your sovereignty is but a sweep of the hand. 100 prayers in your presence is a song of everlasting relationship built on love, devotion and commitment. You are a gracious God, patient with our attempts at understanding the depths of your Spirit, the Wisdom of your ways, and the Sacrifice of your love. We stumble trying to describe you by our terms, only to find we are limiting the description of our own lives. You are eternal, O God, in love for your people, in commitment to a righteous kingdom and in pursuit of reconciliation. You never desert, instead remaining steadfast and tenacious in your guardianship. Let us practice a portion of your devoted care, knowing that portion is a gift of grace to be shared for as long as we breathe, 100 seconds more, 100 days more, 100 years more - in thanksgiving and awe, one prayer at a time. Amen.