I Held a Place for You Today

 For Mindy, Pixie, and Linda, my Tuesday morning prayer circle and lifeline:

I held a place for you today,

sitting thoughtfully, quietly on the bench in front of the church

in bright daylight

listening to the trees, teeming with life:

birds calling,

squirrels chirping,

crows caw-ing,

owl hooting in the distance.

No question of God's presence

through creatures who also call our church their home.

   

I held a place for you today,
cool breeze on my cheek,

wispy gray clouds moving swiftly over blue skies.

I sit here in this place.

I feel at home,

welcome...
my church.

   

I held a place for you today

with shades of green and bursts of vibrant color,

miraculous in the midst of drought,

each pot carfeully tended by a loving gardener.

Zoom in on a blooming pot of magenta

a bumblebee, no two, makes his rounds.

Zoom in a little more

and ants make their way along green stem highways,

about their busy work.

    

I held a place for you today

Nestled here in the livable forest

I only need to zoom out, to shift my focus
and I can hear and see the community beyond:

cars dropping children to school,

school buses delivering precious cargo,
dogs barking to be let in,
an airplane roaring across the sky.
We, as a church, hold a relevant place in our community,
offering friendship, belonging, gratitude
and the face of Hope.




I held a place for you today
Marveling that this church is more than two buildings and a playground
with a cool new covered walkway.
This place which has grown with me,
represents my faith,
my journey,
my family,
and my faithful God
who always
holds a place

for

me.