 |
|
|
'Open My Eyes, Lord, Help Me to See Your Face' |
|
|
|
I consider myself very fortunate. I pass a park in St. Louis called Grant's Farm on the way to work every day. At one point in my travels I come around a corner and see the pasture where the Clydesdales grow up. Some mornings there is a thin layer of frost on the ground. Some mornings the horses are trotting around. If I leave early enough the Sun is rising just behind the pasture. My reaction is always the same. “Good morning, God.” Spirituality is my daily encounters with the God that surrounds me. Paying attention to the day brings me closer to my God. My first steps in the morning remind me to keep my eyes open; you just don't always know what you will see. God knows how to wake me up. A chirping bird, the couple down the street who walk together every morning, the students who greet me in the morning with a “Good morning, Sister Eileen,'” these are my favorite eye-openers. Once my eyes have been opened in the morning I am more aware of many other encounters with my God. It is the being awake and paying attention that is the hard part. As the day progresses it is so easy to forget the gifts of the morning. It is too easy to get absorbed in what is “due” that day and forget to pay attention to the God encounters of the day. Papers need grading, students need tutoring, planning to do, meetings to attend, community reports to read; all of these can distract from the beauty of the day. With my eyes open I can sense the tears behind the questions from a student, or the excitement and pride of a student when she finally understands something she has worked on for a long time. With eyes closed I can easily miss the frustrated colleague. These, too, are “hellos” from the God who surrounds me. ‘Open My Ears, Lord, Most days are exhausting. Some days are frustrating. There are only so many ways to explain how electricity works. There is no time today to think about getting that oil changed in the car. Please don't tell me that the computer is down today. It is very difficult to hear the chirp of a bird on days like this. Built in reminders such as daily prayer don't always help keep the eyes from being glazed by deadlines. This is when I am reminded that God is in charge. Just when I may have really forgotten to pay attention, a student will stop me in the hall and say, “Sister Eileen, it's my birthday today. Would you like a chocolate chip cookie?” I have come to know that these simple encounters are quick “hellos” from the God who surrounds me. ‘I Live within You – It is time to go home. It may be sunset or even dark outside. It might actually be early enough to see the Sun. No matter what time I leave, I am greeted with fresh air which is so nice to breathe in after a long day. The Clydesdales might not be out on the way home. The birds aren't always chirping, but there is often something in the sky that is an evening gift from God. Evening means going home to a nice meal, shared prayer and community with my sisters. Often our prayer in the evening concludes with the line, “May we rest in You tonight.” May we all know the God who surrounds us and may we all rest in that love tonight. About the author: Eileen Fuchs, BVM, is a science teacher at Nerinx Hall High School in St. Louis, Mo. She professed final vows in July 2005. Return to Table of Contents. |
