Prayers of healing...

Sometimes we are hurt: every now and again it is intentional, but more often than not these wounds are unintentional. One of the blessings of Celtic spirituality is the way it links the truths of the earth to our encounters with the soul. One prayer, Lord of the Morning, puts it like this:

Bless to us, O God, this day, fresh made.
In the chorus of birds, bless us.
In the scent of blossom, bless us.
In the wet grass and the spring of flowers, bless us.
Bless us and heal us,
for we come to you in love and in trust.
We come to you in expectant hope.

O God, give us a well of tears
to wash away the hurts of our lives.
O God, give us a well of tears
to cleanse the wounds,
to bathe the battered face of our world.
O God, give us a well of tears
or we are left like arid earth
unsanctified.

Heal us and your grieving world
of all that harms us.
By the power of your resurrection
restore us to new life,
set us on new paths,
bring us from darkness to light,
help us to choose hope.

Jesus says, "Pick up your bed and walk."
Pick up the bed of your sorrows and fears,
pick up the bed of your grief and your sin,
pick up your life and come, come follow him.

I claim two truths from this prayer - probably more.  First, the blessings of God's healing forgiveness are greater and more abundant that our wounds. I must trust that at times when I don't "feel" it.  And second, the evidence of these abundant blessings are heralded by the rise of the sun each day. There is nothing I can do to prevent God's grace except ignore/refuse it. It is there for me and free for the taking.

One of the truths of our wounds is that they give us a chance to do better - to make amends - to learn from our mistakes. Lord, let me pick up my bed and follow the one of blessings.