Prayer
on a theme of Repentance
Loving Father
all the fancy words
in the world
expressed in eloquent prose
decorated with emotion
spoken with conviction
cannot compete with a heartfelt
'sorry'
when all other words fail.
There are times
when we are all too aware
of our limitations
conscious of sin
and the distance it creates between us.
Sometimes 'sorry'
is all the heart can bear to say aloud.
It is only you
who can read and understand
the language of our hearts
Only you who can translate our 'sorry'
into the prayer we would have prayed
if we had the words within us.
Then you forgive
and having forgiven
surround us in an embrace of love
drawing us close to your heart
as it was always meant to be.
Thank you, Loving Father
that you listen to hearts
as well as voices
Thank you.
Your forgiveness is total
no notebook
tape recorder
or post-it note
to remind you of that moment
when.……..
You take our confession
offered with hands outstretched
and gently
like the loving
heavenly Father that you are
put it to one side
to be forgotten
No grudges, no itching for judgement
No resentment or ill-will
Not like us
who find it easy to say sorry
but so hard to forgive
absolutely
Forgive us, Father
that we are often more willing
to accept forgiveness
than to forgive
More willing to accept your love
than to share it with those
who have hurt us.
Teach us to forgive
As you forgive
Love
Has its source in you
Creator God
Flows from you like an ocean
into a world as unyielding
as any shoreline cliff
And like the ocean
which batters
erodes
and wears away
even the hardest stone
your love persists
finds cracks and inlets
in hardened hearts
flows inside and works a miracle.
Who would think that water
was more powerful than granite
love mightier
than the hardest heart
Thank you, Creator God
for the power of your love
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