Mama Monday #7

for when you need a gentle day

God, I need a gentle day, 
a respite from the strident voices
and the attention economy, 
problems I can't solve. 
I need a break. 
God, shelter me awhile. 
Blessed are we who come to you
just as we are, 
asking to be gathered, hidden, 
and held, 
shielded for a time
from things too hard for us, 
too heavy to hold for this long. 

God, give us grace for one whole day

of gentle turning, 

of turning away from worry

toward restful action, 

of turning from the troubles

of yesterday or tomorrow. 

Blessed are we, 

when the unsolvable problem

comes to mind again, 

to turn from it, just for now. 

When checking the news 

one more time seems a good idea, 

to let the hands rest and 

the computer screen go dark. 

When the muscles in the body

speak their tight reminders, 

to listen to them long enough

to give them release, 

to gentle up the breathing

and lower the eyes, 

to let ourselves be small again, 

wrapped up, and lifted into your arms, 

for long enough until 

the stirrings of enoughness come- 

enough energy to tend

just the little space 

that is within reach today. 

-Kate Bowler