My heart has been heavy these last days reading the newspaper and Facebook. And so, a prayer I wrote:

Jesus, we ask you to draw close to those in need, but you are already there. You were there first, and you’ll be the last to leave. Help us to hear the hum of your presence. Give us the courage to reach for you in our struggles, and the struggles of those we love. Then give us the courage to reach again when we fail or doubt. Stop us in our tracks when we lunge into people and things in hopes of finding worthiness. May we believe in our bones that we have been made worthy. And, that our neighbor is worthy too. And not just that we are worthy, but that we are a one-of-a kind. Rally around us as we try to live into our uniqueness. Obstruct us from trying to water down the person you made us to be. Awaken our souls to the beauty around us. And then show us beauty around the edges of the things in the world and our lives that are hard. Bring those edges into main focus. Help us leap with joy over the small things. Quicken us to pass on kindness. Tune out the things that don’t matter so that as days pass -- and one day our own lives --- we can hear your presence as a roar.