The Abiding City

May He give us all the courage that we need to go the way He shepherds us. 

That when He calls, we may go unfrightened. 

If He bids us come to Him across the waters, that unfrightened we may go. 

And if He bids us climb the hill, may we not notice that it is a hill, 

mindful only of the happiness of His company. 

He made us for Himself, that we should travel with Him 

And see Him at last in His unveiled beauty 

In the abiding city where He is light and happiness and endless home.

(Father Bede Jarrett)

God is a little ridiculous at times. My flatmate came home from meditation and stuck this prayer on our fridge. She mentioned it tonight and I stepped into the kitchen to read it and could only smile. It's the kind of smile you get when someone that has just popped into your mind calls on the phone. Or when you think, "Man I'm hungry" and your flatmate walks through the door with a cake. It's the pleasure that comes at receiving something when you have only just become aware of the need.

I do acknowledge coincidence and I don't look for meaning in everything. I don't believe that life is a complex puzzle put together by a scheming celestial power. Nor do I believe everything is up to chance.

Timing can be funny. We read into it. We grant it too much significance. We give it weight to tip the scales of our own arguments or expectations. But we also ignore it. A precisely timed word of encouragement, a ray of sunshine when your thoughts go a bit bleak, a prayer posted on a fridge - these aren't without significance. Meaning? Not so sure. Significance? Yes. I won't interpret them as roadsigns or answers from a divine eight ball that's ever-rolling, but they hold significance none-the-less. These things are significant because despite lacking a specific meaning, they mean something to me. A word can make you feel cared for. Sunshine can hold back a tear. A prayer can give you words you didn't know you needed to express. And sometimes that's enough. Not all the time, but sometimes.

And for now I'm learning to be content with sometimes.