I would still like to see cloud-writing spelled out by a holy hand,
crop circles designed by the unconventional Christ,
or pillars of fire inspired by a signaling Spirit
to show me the way.
That would be nice, God.

I would certainly accept divine intervention and resolution
through a winning lottery ticket (I promise I’d tithe!),
the magical song & dance of house-cleaning mice,
even a Hollywood happy ending.
Can’t you be my “Kwik Fixit” god, God? **

But instead of “Abracadabra,”
you say “Go take a bath;
let the waters clear your head.”
Not in a sparkling pool or clear lake,
but in the Jordan, where the river’s current
flows slowly with the grime of farms & towns,
with the sweat of barely-getting-by fishermen
and the loud joy of screeching, swimming children.

“Go take a bath in the muddy waters of life,
and then tell me if you still really want
a Kwik Fixit god or a pristine ending,
if you still want to stare at a blinding pillar of fire
rather than joining the river’s meandering path.
Let the waters change you, heal you,
to gratitude and wonder
and a willing spirit.”

** It’s a pet peeve of mine when stores and businesses intentionally misspell their names (think Rite Aid, Kwik Shop, Krispy Kreme, Tastee Freez, etc.) as though it is somehow catchy or we are too stupid to know better. The ridiculousness of all those misspellings is surprisingly apropos here!

If you would like to receive prayer-writing prompts via email every Friday, go to rachelhackenberg.com and fill out the contact form.

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