Today is recognized as the annual National Day of Prayer. I am sending you a prayer which I wrote in June of last year, in honor of this "national day":

Waiting to say "Good Morning"

Dear Lord,

Today is the day of our long-awaited Sunday School class potluck picnic at Judy’s house, after Sunday School and late church. On our list of possible activities for the group, more of the members listed "going out to eat or have a picnic" than any other event or activity. Surely there would be a good attendance.

And I didn’t realize how much I was looking forward to it until Saturday, when Beth called to say she had to work as a nurse at a care center and wouldn’t be able to come. Carolyn e-mailed to let me know that the weather wouldn’t work for her and her health condition. We already knew that Bob and Sandy couldn’t attend. They were on vacation with family in North Carolina. My husband, Jim, wasn’t going to be coming either. He had an opportunity to go fishing for the week with friends in Minnesota.

When I got to church, Judy had her own list of regrets. There was a Christian Education meeting immediately following church service. Cathy and family couldn’t be there. Nor Tim, our minister and his family. He would be involved with the same committee meeting. His wife and kids were headed out for church camp for the week.

As I sat in church, I tried not to be disappointed. And then, I thought of You. How many times are you excited about the prospects of our church family showing up for worship together on Sunday morning? Sometimes our reasons are as good as those of our Sunday School class and their other commitments. Other times to we give You feeble reasons for not being there? Are You discouraged or disappointed with our waning need or desire to be together and grow up as members of Your Family?

What about me and my time daily to be spent with You? Do You get excited and pull up a chair waiting for me to show up and talk to You each day? Or listen to You as I read Your Words in the Bible? Are you disappointed when I make out my "daily to do" list? All wonderful and important things, but Your name isn’t on it? Are You discouraged?

One-by-one the vehicles pull up to Judy’s house. Several tables of people attend. We have a wonderful time, eating and chatting together for more than a couple of hours. Wish there would have been more, but I am no longer disappointed.

Are You like that? Do You want more of us to be together to worship You? Or are You happy for those who do get together as Your Family? Do You celebrate my arrival every time I sit down to read Your holy words and pray? Or are You disappointed by my lack of consistency or silly notation that I can thrive in our world today without an intimate relationship with You?

Thank You for never giving up on me – or us! Thank You that You are loving and kind, filled with compassion for each one of us. Thank You that You have added Your Spirit on to my feeble spirit; that You have given me things to do, people to see, and places to go. Forgive me of my shortcomings and help me to be and to do the things You would have me to do. Thank You for teaching me that when I don’t take time to spend with You either in weekly worship as a family at church, or daily worship of You at home, it is not You who loses, but me!

In Your Son’s Name Who made lots of things possible for us who are Your Children, Amen.

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