Well, yesterday I shared a couple of prayers from the Psalms and from a  Devotional Book I use, “Celtic Daily Prayer.” Today I want to share another one. A beautiful book arrived, as a gift, at our front door yesterday: “Sanctuary, Moments in His Presence” (Malcolm Down Publishing) by a Facebook friend and great encourager, David Strutt. I say beautiful, because that is what it is on every level: beautiful to look at, beautiful in use of language, beautiful in tone. I am looking forward to using it and finding Christ in its words.

However today it is simply a prayer in the Introduction of the book that I want to share. Why? I guess it spoke to me as someone who not completely willingly or easily but through ill health has had to learn to walk a path with God that I did not expect to find myself on, meaning among many other changes, giving up being a Parish Minister, having to find a new home etc. I am not saying I have lost hope or faith for healing, but at the same time I want to say something that may well make some of you think I have! Whatever the source of the illness, I have found this new path to be a gift from God. I have discovered fresh ways of serving Him that I would never have discovered otherwise; learned by experience many truths about God or discovered familiar truths in new depth on this unfamiliar path; received the love and wisdom of God throughHis People. Indeed, there have been blessings of many types on a path that I would not have been able to freely choose at its starting point.

If I had known the prayer I read in David’s book it would have helped on that journey and I know it will help me from this point on, however the Lord leads. I trust it will help some who read it this very day. It is the prayer of St. Brendan:

First written 1500 years ago, yet so modern and up to date. Of course it is. God is always calling us to follow Him. Our Shepherd leads us from one pasture land to the next. Give up fear! Take up faith! Follow Him!

God Bless

Kenny