Theresa Mary

(Written by 2008 Retreatant)

On that day so long ago
You went to be with Jesus
He welcomed you with open arms,
All God’s creation is so precious.
I was blind, I could not see,
My life was dark and dreary.
 At times I felt I could not go on
I was too sad and weary.
Something began to stir in me,
I needed to see the light.
I began on a journey of healing
From the darkness into daylight.
I know now it was you, my dear
Who nudged me on that day.
You knew it was Jesus I needed to find,
So you helped me on my way.
You have been watching over me,
With Jesus all these years.
You were here with me this weekend,
Holding my hand through all the tears.
Theresa Mary I love you.
I will pray with you each day.
You are my guardian angel.
Thank you for helping me find my way.
You are a very special part of me.
You’ll be in my heart forever.
I have a special hug for you,
The day we meet in Heaven.

Renewal

Prayers pulse like waves in the ocean,
Channeling, surging through me,
A torrent of joy,
A sweet rushing in my veins.

You’ve changed, you’ve changed – a life beat.

My heart is wide open,
My heart burns within me,
Lord – pour the newness into me,
Immerse me in your glory,
I wish to bathe in the rivers of life.

I soak you in – my tears change to wine.
Accept them, transform them,
Palms up to the sky,
I surrender myself.

The balsam wind blows
across the lake.
Its breath settles into my heart.
I let my sins drift apart like ashes falling.

By the crackling fire,
I decide to be new.
I throw the stone away.

I feel the old layers crumble -
I see the world through new eyes,
a lens of God.

Threads of water, wind and fire
twine around my heart,
and cascade into my spirit.
A trinity baptism.

Rachel and Rose

There were two little girls named Rachel & Rose,
Who had been lost so many years ago.
Their mother had been searching for them,
looking high and low.
Then one day in the mountains, in a cabin, on a lake,
The mom saw a great light and she knew the right road
to take.
She found them with Jesus and was happy as can be;
He was holding them in His arms – oh so tenderly.

October 2007
First Diocese of Ogdensburg Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat

Doris and Me:  OUR PRAYER FOR EACH OTHER AND THE WORLD

When I came here, I wanted to turn my scar into a place of beauty;
As I leave, I know now that it was always a place of beauty because you were there.

When I came here, I was paralyzed on a table;
As I leave, I can walk out and take my place among the living.

When I came here, I thought I knew the next step in my healing;
As I leave, I leave with complete trust that I know not where my steps                                             will go, but they are planted firmly on good soil and you are with me.

When I came here, you were a fetus who became a young woman;
As I leave, you are my hero.  You are a prayer warrior.

When I came here, I was caught in a lie that forgiveness was not an option;
As I leave, I see the truth – we forgive because He forgives us.

When I came here, we were disconnected;
As I leave, we are a power working together that cannot be stopped.

When I came here, I felt a bond of mother and child that had been torn apart and could not be mended;
As I leave, I feel a bond beyond words that is caught up in prayer and therefore inseparable.

When I came here, I knew something would happen;
As I leave, God has surprised me once again.

When I came here, I felt alone in prayer;
As I leave, I know your prayers, my prayers, and the prayers of all of us who have suffered the pains of abortion are storming the Heavens.

When I came here, I thought my prayers to stop this killing were drowned out, useless, and muted;
As I leave, I know that you, my child, and all the children are praying, praising God, and interceding for us all.

When I came here, I could not connect my prayers to yours;
As I leave, our prayers rise in a beautiful chorus to God.

When I came here, this plague of abortion could very easily overwhelm me;
As I leave I have nothing but hope and trust that God is in control and He is using us for the good of His Kingdom.

When I came here, it was “I” – lonely and isolated;
As I leave here, it is “we” – you and I, dear child – never alone.

When I came here, if I did catch a glimpse of you, it was fleeting and just we two;
As I leave here, we are among a great multitude of Holy Innocents and those courageous people who, too, have made this arduous journey to healing.

When I came here, the room of the abortion clinic is been filled with a great Light, where Jesus, Mary, you and I have been silently waiting for the proper time to move;
As I leave here; we will walk out together, leaving that room at the foot of the Cross and the scar that seemed so dark and deep will be superimposed over the scars of many and plunged into the scars of Jesus.  Now it is no longer a place to scab over just to be opened again – it is a living, breathing scar; a river of people, a place of unity, a hope for tomorrow.  We are there, you and I, as we move in and among the many. 
I hope we often catch a glimpse of each other as we continue on our respective journeys – you there and I here – bonded in Jesus and His love for us all. 
Only Jesus could make even this scar beautiful!

In this new life, I will feel pain more fully, but also laugh and live with more sincerity. 
In this new life, I will seek the support of people like all of you in the Vineyard. 
In this new life, I will come out of years of hiding inside myself. 
In this new life, I will honor you, my child, by living the life God gives me, knowing that the bond we had all those years ago, is a bond that cannot be broken.