To me, prayer shouldn’t be separate from daily life, but should arise spontaneously from it, inspired by the ordinary sights, sounds and experiences that surround us. That was the raison d’être behind my book Touched By His Hand, as well as for the other books in the series, Heaven Touching Earth, Touching Down and Touching the Seasons. In the following, for example, the sight of a pebble on the beach leads to a recognition of our need of others.
The pebble
It was perfectly smooth,
the fissures and fractures it had once held
long since worn away by the pounding of waves
and ceaseless jostling of its fellows,
each stone helping to round the next.
Lord, I too need the company of others
to remove rough edges,
the experience of rubbing shoulders
with people of different backgrounds,
ideas and experiences
if I’m to become fully rounded.
Open my heart to others,
and through my bouncing off them
shape my life for good.
Amen.