In mornings shadow cast
A light within the way
Speaking words of silence
Calling one to pray
Stillness of surrounding
Time of sacred lay
Gifts found in Your Presence
As world drifts far away
Gripping of desire
Hold soul in Your stay
Melting of the wax
Molding soft as clay
Home is the word known
Love is on display
Entwining the divine
Uplifting grace inlay
Stillness of the lake
In waves are drawing me
Calling of God’s Spirit
To come and sit and be
Listen with the heart
All other things can wait
What is more important
Than pray and contemplate
Asking of the nothing
Just my presence bring
Hear the song of God
Let His light now sing
I just want to love you
Shower you with grace
Bestow my gifts within you
Fall in joint embrace
Let peace rein within
Acceptance now surround
Receive your gift of fill
Eternal love abound
A time of drifting through
Lights filtered passage way
On the edge of heaven
A place soul wants to stay
Comfort in acceptance
Love of which soul feeds
One within the bonding
Home that all hearts need
A trusting in our faith
No need to understand
A moments’ letting go
Resting in Your hand
Let us be in binding
One body found in You
Heart of loves compassion
Seen now through Your view
Here within Your presence
Closer than before
Comfort of Your love
Together to adore
Pondering this closeness
Distance of this space
How far do I keep?
My Lord of precious grace
Sometimes in the heavens
One of up above
Sometimes in the background
Unaware of love
Keeping You at arm’s length
Afraid to let you in
Let me open all
A prayer here to begin
Awakening of insight
Spirit that You show
Deep inside You dwell
Closer than I know
Now is found the answer
Of which I’m searching for
God of the indwelling
Waiting to adore
One within this silence
Intimate secure
One of everlasting
Forever well endure
No measurement of task
Intent of offering
One soul in the being
Is all that I can bring
Faithful is rewarded
Blessed by holy grace
Grateful rests the heart
Safe in your embrace
Jesus of full presence
Light here radiates
Gift beyond the mind
Soul now contemplates
Eyes drift into closing
Vision passing through
Cast away all doing
Being one with You
Song surrounds in silence
Soul’s ear opens wide
Psalms of wisdom sing
Blessings to reside
Practice of adoring
Word of Spirit sung
Exercise of faith
Loves fountain is sprung
Radiate through me
Connecting three in one
Fragrance of Your song
Light infused by Son
We hold unto this treasure
Earthen vessels all are we
That all surpassing power
Not us but from God be
Afflicted every way
Struck down but not destroyed
In dying carry Jesus
His life may be employed
Deaths at work within us
But life is found in You
The One who raised our Lord
In hope He’ll raise us too
Everything’s for You
So grace will be bestowed
Abundance for the more
Thanksgiving overflows
Self not be discouraged
As outer wastes away,
Soul now be enlightened
Renewed within each day
Afflictions of the moment
Are transient we’ll see
Product of this challenge
Eternal weigh, glory
We look to not what’s seen
Unseen be our view
The seen is transitory
Eternal be of You
What have I to share
My God of everything
Heart to contemplate
Brought to You in prayer
Past of empty promise
Commitments not fulfilled
Cup filled with Your grace
To others did not spill
I fall upon Your mercy
Count on Your love true
The only I can give
Is this time with You
Even now I stumble
Depend upon Your grace
Light depicts a smile
I fall in Your embrace
I give to You my heart
My soul is in Your care
Body fully present
Everything I share
In this blessed moment
Send Your Spirit through
Mold me in Your way
My faith I place in You
In scriptures of the old
They speak of a man’s name
Value of life’s worth
Treasure to be claimed
A man’s legacy
Is another word
To capture a life’s worth
A story to be heard
Jesus word, he speaks
A new name that I give
To you a different way
An alternative
A legacy of choice
To come and follow me
One of self-denial
A light for you to see
The name of only love
Of His dependency
One of the eternal
Way of eternity
Words of Jesus flow
To followers to be
To take up your cross
Come and follow me
Note, he does not say
To make or look for one
Each his own to carry
Hard its will be done
Are we each so willing?
To take up and accept
Our cross to be our own
To carry with each step
Maybe we can’t study
Or handicapped we be
In a family conflict
Victims who can’t flee
Choose them we did not
But cross that we must bear
We can refuse or hate
Or follow Jesus near
Based upon words taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen , © 1997 HarperSanFrancisco
DarylMadden 