"Flickering Mind"

Lord, not you,

it is I who am absent.

At first

belief was a joy I kept in secret,

stealing alone

into sacred places:

a quick glance, and away -- and back,

circling.

I have long since uttered your name

but now

I elude your presence.

I stop

to think about you, and my mind

at once

like a minnow darts away,

darts

into the shadows, into gleams that fret

unceasing over

the river's purling and passing.

Not for one second

will my self hold still, but wanders

anywhere,

everywhere it can. Not you,

it is I who am absent.

You are the stream, the fish, the light,

the pulsing shadow,

you the unchanging presence, in whom all

moves and changes.

How can I focus my flickering, perceive

at the fountain's heart

the sapphire I know is there?

--Denise Levertov

--Bishop Foley gave a beautiful homily and shared this poem with our Parish recently. He spoke of how we don't notice God in the precious moments commenting on the fact that the Lord is always present but our minds are often busy with many things and we miss opportunities to recognize Him in our daily lives. So true!

So here I recognize a most precious moment...

This is a picture of Andrew's sweet hand. Andrew was busy playing

in Uncle Billy's sand box when this butterfly decided to

spend a little time with him. It would light on his hand then

fly away and come right back to Andrew.

It was an opportunity to be still and be in the present...
a time that I will always treasure.