A Conversation With God

God, even on the moonless nights
Your creation fills my soul
The coolness of the air
The clouds, the stars
The symphony of frogs and crickets

I can close eyes and feel myself
Transported to another place
Where my heart can open up
Absorbing the peace of your universe
Feeling the release of my anxieties
Knowing your ever present love

Is this why Jesus left the crowds
Taking refuge in the wilderness?
To clear his mind of earthly matters
And sort his thoughts before you?

The city with it’s cars, houses, yards and fences
Man made noises…ever pressing on my eardrums
With beats out of sync with your orchestra
Tripping me up
Keeping me off balance

Lord, help me escape the confusion
The insanity that creeps into my thoughts
The stress and tiredness that invade my body

The day long bombardment of phones, people, paperwork
The thick tension
Leaving at the end of the day
Further behind than when I came in

Is there relief from this daily grind?
Or are you building me, day by day
Enabling me to handle stress beyond my comprehension?
I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me

Please give me wisdom, Lord
To deal with it all, according to your will
To show your love to all because
It is not I but Christ in me
Walking down this narrow road

August 20, 2001 Elaine Carlson