liturgy of the sleeper

day is done, i’m undone again.
night has come, i need you to come again.
i’m spent, you’re not.
i’m empty, you have abundantly more.
i’m at the end, you’ll never stop.
your love is still coming,
the purpose to restore.

when my energy fades,
can’t hold back the waves,
can’t hold up the weight anymore,
nothing else fits today so we wait,
no longer to stand,
you make me lie down.
right where i’m supposed to be.

when the bread of the day is consumed,
the just enough played its role,
i relent to the stop,
letting the night’s dimmer turn down the pace,
into the stillness i release.

scrolling the script of the day
finds a cocktail of ingredients,
some the familiar, some the surprising.
some lighter, some heavier,
some quiet, some loud.
but the fading eyes keen enough,
can see you, your hand, your presence.
gratitude is an option here.

settling into the slumber of the night,
opens the insides as it closes the outside.
the pond surface no longer shielding
the perturbations of the day,
revealing what’s underneath.
bubbling up activity no longer quieted,
or calm and still from all parts exhausted.
some familiar, some surprising.
some lighter, some darker,
some quiet, some loud.
but the closed eyes, opened pond,
can feel you, your hands, your presence.
peace is an option here.

come again holy spirit,
when the chaos waters fail to subside,
hover here with me.
when the weights don’t seem to lift,
wait here with me.
when the groans are too loud to rest,
teach me the groans.
until i’m spent,
until i’m empty.
bring rest again,
bring filling again.
lord, have mercy.

then seeping into the stillness of a new day,
finds once again, it is well.
light wins again.
you hemmed me in, behind and before.
protected, restored, comforted,
through the throws and dreams of the night,
some lighter, some heavier,
some quiet, some loud.
but the fresh light bright enough,
can see you, your hand, your presence.
holding and touching happening here.

now ready to go forth,
holding and touching,
with you and for you today.
daily bread restocked.
new mercies restored.
light springs forth again,
help me perceive it.
goodness pursues me again,
help me receive it.
now from being held,
my world i can carefully hold.

further…
psalm 3, 4, 23, 139