Love and Pray

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44-45

Some days I wish I had a pair of ruby slippers. You know they would be indispensable. Dorothy had no idea how powerful those shoes were, but if she had known, her adventure in OZ would have been very different. As it was, all she had to do was click her heels, wish three times and go home with her little dog tucked in her arm. She instead struggled to overcome great evil in her life. Instead she had to collect a bunch of messy and complicated friends to see her through. Instead, she had to learn by doing, growing to appreciate and love even the cowardly, and even what she had at home.

We are told to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. I really try to do that. Sometimes, it is harder to love and appreciate those fellow travelers on the road - yellow brick or otherwise. It hard to not get irritated and short tempered with the messy, complicated, wonderful people who are on this adventure with us.

I have no ruby slippers, so instead, I ask God to give me the heart to love those wonderful complicated people who so kindly have taken to the road with me - no matter where I have found them. Help me God, to see the strength and the power they possess. Help me to love those who would do me harm, Lord. For those who do harm are acting mostly out of fear and hurt. Help me to love and pray as we begin this trip to the wonderful village by the sea for our daughters wedding. May these days be filled with adventure, companions and the capacity to see the good in everyone. May God bless us all with the power to love and pray for all those we encounter on our journey today.