6 a.m. on a Tuesday in October

The velvety cloak of God-peace,
a silence welcome
in my mind,
relief and yearning rise up,
wanting to stay in this moment that is enough forever.
there is no mistaking Your voice,
the word that fits as perfectly
as the final piece in a puzzle.
no substitute sufficient,
the scene is not complete until You come.

But it is me who must come—
and You who invite,
waking me before my alarm
and patiently waiting while I set
the outer scene
with fire and coffee
and attend to cat and dog
so You and I can have a
few
brief
moments
of velvety peace.

Had I understood
the pain,
the never enough,
the restlessness,
the seeking but not finding,
the anger,
the boredom with distraction,
was all Your way
of bringing me to this choice,
this moment,
this place.
had I understood,
I may not have railed against it
quite as loudly.
but only You know the truth of that.
so thank You for it all.

Better is one day in Your house
than thousands elsewhere.

I will abide in the house of the Lord
forever.