Make a Wish

I just celebrated my birthday on July 28. For a long time now it has been my custom to make the 28th of every month a little birthday; when possible the 28th is my day apart--a day of prayer. And so, even my real birthday in July became a day of retreat. After Morning Praise, Eucharist and Breakfast with my community I bowed out for the day and reflected on how I need to be born again. I lit my birthday candle and made a wish. In fact I made lots of wishes. I make my wishes when I light the candle instead of when I blow it out. Throughout the day when I became aware of the burning candle I made another wish. Below is a list of a few of the wishes that I made. The first few wishes are for the whole world; the others are for me. Perhaps you also would like to make a list of birthday wishes. You don't have to wait for your birthday to make a wish.

1. I wish that racism and all forms of prejudice were a thing of the past.



2. I wish each of us would make an effort to see the hidden goodness in all people.



3. I wish we would truly believe that our world doesn't have to be so violent and make little changes in our personal lives to become people of peace.



4. I wish we could eradicate greed from the face of this earth--of course, I have to begin with myself.



5. I wish we would be very careful about judging others, remembering that we are a temple of God and not a courthouse.



6. I wish everyone would see the movie, My name is Khan.



7. I wish I could let go of my expectations of others [especially as to how they ought to perform] and search for ways to affirm them.



8. I wish I was a bit more adept at surrendering my opinions.



9. I wish I would let nothing (not even 2011 summers) prevent me from spending a little time outdoors in the heart of nature each day.



10. I wish I would laugh more.



11. I wish it would rain.



12. And I wish I could be a rain of grace for those I live with and beyond...



13. I wish I could be utterly authentic. (that has always been one of my deep wishes)



14. I wish I had an overdose of poverty of spirit. (another of my deep wishes)

Wishes, in themselves, seem a bit empty. We have to put flesh on the wish through some kind of action. On the other hand, a wish is a seed of potential that I can water with intense desire. I can breathe on it each day and bring it to life. I can pray that the wish become so deeply rooted in me that it becomes a reality. I can call on the child in me and practice making my wishes come true

Finally I wish I could be a bridge

over the troubled waters of people's lives.

"People are lonely

because they build walls

instead of bridges."

Write a letter to one of your bridges,

don't send an e-mail~~write a Letter!

I really wish you would!

Happy New Year

Although we are already 5 days into the new year this seems to be a perfect time to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Not too late; not too early! The year is new enough that we still forget, at times, to write 2010 instead of 2009 --- but not so new that we haven’t already stumbled over a few of our resolutions--------which brings me around to the theme of this blog entry: I don’t do Resolutions anymore. I have Wishes. Resolutions I can break; Wishes I just keep on having. It is as though they are renewed and not broken. I am listing here some of my wishes for the new year. You may have a few of your own that you would like to share with us.

• I wish I could be faithful to a daily discipline of writing.
• I wish I could surrender all actions that give grief to others.
• I wish to replace all my judgments of others with love.
• I wish to wear compassion as a favorite robe.
• I wish to be a person of peace.
• I wish to be free even from violent thoughts.
• I wish to live joyfully surrendered to the moment.
• I wish I could read just one book at a time.
• I wish the Word of God would utterly take root in me.
• I wish I would look like another Christ.
• I wish I could see as God sees.I wish to be pure gratitude.
• Like Alice in Wonderland I wish to believe six impossible things before breakfast.

I can’t exactly break these wishes but each time I disappoint myself I can look on them with love and breathe on them again for I happen to believe Spirit is in my breath. Resolutions or wishes? Ok, I realize they are essentially the same. I’m just using different language. Remember, I love changes. HAPPY NEW YEAR