Thursday, August 15, 2013

"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.

   

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