Sunday Prayer: Wrestling

Let me behold your face, I prayed,
but instead you met me in the dark
and bent me into painful knots.

Let me be relieved, I pleaded,
and instead you laid a path
among my adversaries.

Let me prove my heart, I declared,
but instead you withdrew to tend
the song of creation’s seasons.

Let me be satisfied, I longed,
but instead you sent me
to gather up crumbs.

Let me know your answer, I asked,
and instead you let me know thirst
before showing me wine & water.

How shall I know you, O Mystery,
for you escape at daybreak and
you wander through the crowds;
in mercy you disguise your delight
and in refuge you whisper of hope?
Strengthen me for the match, lest
I give up before you call my name.

The Rev. Rachel G. Hackenberg‘s book with co-author Martha Spong, Denial Is My Spiritual Practice (and Other Failures of Faith), searches for faith through life’s trials. Rachel has also written Writing to God, a popular Lenten devotional, and other books.

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