Sometimes

Sometimes
Sometimes things don’t go, after all,
from bad to worse. Some years, muscadel
faces down frost; green thrives; the crops don’t fail.
Sometimes a man aims high, and all goes well.

A people sometimes will step back from war,
elect an honest man, decide they care
enough, that they can’t leave some stranger poor.
Some men become what they were born for.

Sometimes our best intentions do not go
amiss; sometimes we do as we meant to.
The sun will sometimes melt a field of sorrow
that seemed hard frozen; may it happen for you. Sheenagh Pugh

Prayer:
Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword
but wisely spoken words can heal Proverbs 12:18-
Holy God,
When I stop to think of
the power of speech, it
worries me, Lord.
Off-the cuff- remarks
tongues dripping with honey,
judgmental silence,
begrudged words of faint praise,
smug put-downs –
these can all come from the same mouth,
and sometimes that mouth is mine
God help me to be as thoughtful with my speech
as Jesus was with his, and like him,
to use my voice for those people and causes
about which others are silent.
Be present, Lord,
for those who even today hurt from
cruel criticism made years ago.
Be present, Lord,
for those who know that ending their silence
would help someone else to be happy.
Be present, Lord,
with all of us. Amen.