One day I turned
back, expecting to see
only tattered pieces of
a heart too tired to carry
them any further.
But there I found echoes
of quiet prayers
I wouldn’t have traded
for an easier path.
Prayer of My Heart
I learned to wait
for words to form,
softly–
in remembrance of
the one continuous quiet
prayer of my heart.
One Silent Prayer
When the world begins
to feel like too much again–
When we can no longer sort
all the pieces of our own hearts,
I will close my eyes
and remember the mysterious power
of one silent prayer.
Safe Enough
I returned many times
to the the place of no words.
Each time I learned to trust
and to let go
just a little more completely.
I learned to honor the times
when it became clear
that it was safe enough
to allow whatever remained
unsorted to be set down.
As It Is
I hold what is here
with love –
the natural unfolding –
this clear space,
all of this,
including all that is
painful and confusing.
I accept and love
all of it,
as it is.
To Where My Heart Was Tuned
I found comfort
in the small moments of surrender
when I dared to let go
of everything
and stand in the empty space.
There was tenderness
in the gentle way life began
to flow from there.
And so I returned again
to this place –
trading it all for a quiet prayer
and the chance to follow
to where my heart was tuned.
From Within
Help me to remember what is
underneath all that appears –
to seek comfort
in quiet spaces.
Remind me of
the sacred art of healing
from within.
Amen.
From There
Life had a way of leading
back to the quiet space within –
to the setting down of all
of the tangled up,
unresolved thoughts –
to the difficult step of tossing everything
up to God.
Time and time again I found myself
in a place of too much –
the only clear option being
to return again humbly
to a state of prayer –
to begin again
from there.
For a While
And so I remembered how to listen
to a different voice.
It was in that moment I knew
for sure that I could trust again
in the mysterious unfolding
of life.
I had, for a while,
turned my back
on the quiet prayer of my heart –
the one thing that connected me with
all that was true and real,
only to return stronger
and with greater reverence
for all that was human
and all that was Divine.
In This Place
And so every experience,
no matter how painful or beautiful,
eventually led back to my heart.
It didn’t matter how long
I put off the inevitable prayer
of surrender.
Every single time I found my way
to that quiet prayer
and the immediate respite in
the instant recentering.
It didn’t matter that much of life
remained messy and parts
of the unfolding story would
most likely bring with them
a tenderness almost too raw to bear.
All of it eventually ended up
in this place.
Laurie's Notes 