The Cricket Match
It was a difficult time to come in:
a massive score to chase,
and wickets having tumbled,
carelessly tossed away.
One false stroke could have spelt disaster,
not just for him but also for the team.
But he got his head down,
dug in,
and ground out a score,
only cutting loose when the game was safe,
his determined concentration
turning defeat into victory,
failure into success.
Teach me, Lord,
that there is atime and place for everything:
for action...and restraint,
for taking risks...and showing caution,
for enthusiasm...and patience,
for abandonment...and self-discipline.
Help me to know which is which,
and to get the balance right.
Amen
The Sleepless Night
I'd lain there for hours,
pummelling my pillow and tossing uncomfortably,
yet I still couldn't settle,
a thousand ideas turning over in my mind,
disturbing my peace and denying the sleep I craved.
By day, Lord, as well as by night,
my spirit is all too often restless,
unable to find true fulfilment or inner tranquillity.
Help me to let go of my fears,
and to place every part of life into your hands,
so that I may know the rest you promise
and find true contentment -
a quietness of body, mind and soul
that, day or night cannot be shaken.
Amen