"Let us dream of the angels that connect heaven and earth.
Let us imagine the threads of the eternal woven into time.
And let us know you among us now, O God.
In this time and every time may we know your blessings among us."

~J. Philip Newell

Lately, I have to admit, I have been letting things get me down. I have been feeling a little overwhelmed by world events, bogged down by situations in which I don't seem to be able to create change, allowing even the littlest burr under my saddle to become a big ouch. It has been my experience that once I start letting this ball roll down the hill, it simply picks up speed and all the lint and crud it can collect along the way. Does this ever happen to you?

Trying to soothe my soul, I was actually searching for another quote by J. Philip Newell when I ran across this prayer. I read and reread the line 'let us imagine the threads of the eternal woven through time'. For some reason those words gave me hope, lightened my heart. I put down the book and it felt as if a clearing was happening in my head and in my heart.

Imagining the threads of the eternal that make up our every day is a fascinating thought, isn't it? How are we held every moment by threads that have been running through the fabric of Creation since that initial flaring forth? Threads of hope, of promise, of creativity, of beauty, of sheer surprise. These threads which twist and turn and form amazing patterns hold us every day and yet it is so easy to forget. It is so easy to make our life small,relegated to tiny details that in the grand scheme of things mean very little. These eternal threads are what nudge us to remember the fact that, while we may be small players, we are a part of a vast drama. Every day it is our blessing to wake up and begin our time on today's stage. Our role today may be the romantic lead or the comic relief. We may be called on to 'save the day' or to sit quietly behind the scenes helping others remember their lines. Today we may be in a musical or a farce, a tragedy or a comedy. The trick really is to remain open, to welcome what this day offers as another opportunity to glimpse the eternal, to encounter the Holy. To play our part.

And so today, my prayer is that I, that we all, stay awake to the little and the big things that come our way. That nothing is taken for granted. No smile, tear, word or gesture is seen as irrelevant. But we all remember to look for the threads of the eternal. That we all search longingly for the Presence that brings the blessings of this day.