Prayers for Hard Times. Becca Anderson
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.
- Patricia Morrison, Crane Dance Collective, 1956
What God Sows In the Heart
Give over thine own willing;
give over thine own running;
give over thine own desiring
to know or to be anything;
and sink down to the seed
which God sows in the heart,
and let that grow in thee,
and be in thee,
and breathe in thee,
and act in thee,
and thou shalt find by sweet experience
that the Lord knows that,
and loves and owns that,
and will lead it to
the inheritance of life,
which is its portion.
- Isaac Pennington, 1661
An Irish Prayer
May God give you
For every storm, a rainbow
For each tear, a smile
For every care, a promise
And a blessing in each trial.
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you.
- From Irish Oral Tradition
God’s Blessing Will Always Be Upon You
May the blessing of God’s soft rain be on you,
Falling gently on your head, refreshing your soul
With the sweetness of little flowers newly blooming.
May the strength of the winds of Heaven bless you,
Carrying the rain to wash your spirit clean
Sparkling after in the sunlight.
May the blessing of God’s earth be on you,
And as you walk the roads,
May you always have a kind word
for those you meet.
- Traditional Irish Blessing
“Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater.”
—William Hazlitt
“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”
—Thich Nhat Hanh
“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”
—Robert Schuller
“Prosperity is not without many fears and disasters; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.”
—Francis Bacon
Shine the Light of Love
May the blessing of light be upon you.
May the blessing of light be upon you,
Light on the outside,
Light on the inside.
With God’s sunlight shining on you,
May your heart glow with warmth,
Like a turf fire
that welcomes friends and strangers alike.
May the light of the Lord shine from your eyes,
Like a candle in the window,
Welcoming the weary traveler.
—Traditional Irish Blessing
Irish Travelers Blessing
May the Hand of a Friend Always Be Near You
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
- Traditional Irish Blessing
Never Give Up
I will not die an unlived life.
I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.
I choose to inhabit my days,
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing.
- Dawna Markova
We Are All In This Together
All human beings are limbs of each other,
having been created of one essence.
When time affects a limb with pain,
The other limbs cannot at rest remain.
If thou feel not others’ misery,
A human being is no name for thee.
- Sa’adi, Persian Poet, 1270
Asking Forgiveness
O little self, within whose smallness lies
All that man was, and is, and will become,
Atom unseen that comprehends the skies
And tells the tracks by which the planets roam;
That, without moving, knows the joys of wings,
The tiger’s strength, the eagle’s secrecy,
And in the hovel can consort with kings,
Or clothe a god with his own mystery.
O with what darkness do we cloak thy light,
What dusty folly gather thee for food,
Thou who alone art knowledge and delight,
The heavenly bread, the beautiful, the good.
O living self, O god, O morning star,
Give us thy light, forgive us what we are.
- John Masefield, 1915
Keep Me Safe Forever
Bless, O Mistress of Magic,
Myself and everything anear me,
Bless me in all my makings,
And keep me safe forever.
Keep me safe forever.
From every unclean spirit and sending,
From every evil wish and cursing,
From every wicked spell and glamour,
From every star that frowns upon me,
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