As we pray this prayer of Joyce Rupp, let us be consoled that God knows our desires even when they may not always materialize.
Gracious God, Gift of Mercy and Understanding,
Sometimes all my good intentions go sliding down the gutter of responsibilities.
My hopes of deepening prayer get splintered and broken in the chaos of busyness.
My desires to have a quiet haven are swallowed by the jaws of my calendar.
My resolutions to rise earlier, to pray longer, are lost in the blankets of an extra hour of sleep.
And all the while I fuss and fume about this, you look at me and smile.
Are you sending the message that spiritual growth can happen among the very things
That seem to keep me from you?
Are you assuring me that my desire to grow is not lost to you?—AMEN.
(Adapted from Joyce Rupp, "Desire for Spiritual Growth," in Prayers to Sophia.)