The Toolbox of the Creator
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THINK
"It's funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent old tools - friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty - and said 'do the best you can with these, they will have to do'. And mostly, against all odds, they do."-- Anne Lamott
I love this image! A toolbox, assembled by the Creator, full of what we need to get along through life. Our friends are in that toolbox and we have to be open to seeing the value of the rusty, old tool. It is with gratitude and humility that we lift the tools from the box and go about the business of improving ourselves.
PRAY
God, let me listen more than I speak. Please, please let me truly hear and truly connect and truly, truly understand. Let me recognize that the relationships in my life are my tools for self-improvement. And let me be a worthy tool for my friends as well.
ACT
Spend some time thinking about the people God has used for your good in your life. Send a thank you to someone who has befriended you. Actually put a stamp on it and mail it. So rare is the handwritten note that it has a special thrill attached to it.
Motherhood can feel like the loneliest vocation in the world. Surrounded by children, who frequently bring us to our knees, both literally and figuratively, we can be overwhelmed by isolation. Mothers need community. We can be community for one another. We can encourage on another and hold each other accountable. If you like these short devotions, please share the image and send another woman here. And when you're here, please take a moment to pray with another mother who is visiting. Leave a comment and when you do, pray for the woman whose comment is just above yours. Just a moment--blessed--will begin to build community.
I like to pray when I run in the morning. Often, I listen to Divine Office and pray Morning Prayer or the Office of Readings. Then, I just take up a conversation with God. I'd love to pray for you! Please leave your prayer requests below and we can pray for each other, no matter how we spend our morning prayer time. Meet me back here tomorrow and I'll share the ponderings from my #morningrun.
