Exhalations of Gratitude

"Come unto me if you're weak and laden; I'll give you rest."

And our prayer becomes,"Good God, all we want is rest."

Because it seems that at the guts of the matter all any of us really want is rest: to rest from the push and thump-throb of desire unmet and burning needs left smoldering; to rest from our expectations, educations, our culture, our poverty, our wealth, our guilt, our guilt, so much guilt in the face of naked needs; to rest from the high of success, the crash of failure, the definition of position, the categorization of body - "I am young. I am old. I am middle age. I am beautiful. I am not; Hurry, hurry, time is fleeting."

"Give us rest. Good God, give us rest."

Find us in the place where all things fall away like petals peeled from the heart of a rose. Shave our souls. Let all else drop away to the slim cool centre of life, of being; because here, where our unclothed, unburdened selves meet you, and we are left all empty handed and useless, there is nothing left but thankfulness.

And then our prayer becomes, "Oh God, make my life an exhalation of gratitude."