. . . you who guide and let go, again and again and again.  You show me that love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

. . you who fill the van with boxes and cook spaghetti and tend the little ones. You model for me the beauty of God’s life-giving servant love.

. . . you who say yes. You teach me to trust.

. . . you who say no. You teach me to say yes to something better.

. . . you who paint, layer by layer, evening after evening. You remind me that what I see in me, around me, is not the finished piece. God hasn’t signed his name and put down his brush.

. . . you who work so hard. You inspire me with your willingness to follow at any cost.

. . . you who make space to be quiet. You remind me of a deeper reality moving in and beyond the busy, visible world.

. . . you who are honest about your struggles. You bless me with the tender beauty of a heart opened wide to the Healer.

. . . you who let yourself be lifted up to dance again each time your ribs have cracked and your heart has grown weary and you’ve wondered how much more you can take. You let me see the wonder of your Lover who never lets go.

You, YOU, are a gift! Oh, may you see it today.

“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Eph 1:18-19a)