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, my encountering a posse of charity collectors leads to a challenge concerning our response to those less fortunate than ourselves.
The charity collectors
They were there outside the supermarket,
shaking their tins hopefully,
but I averted my eyes and shuffled past,
pretending I hadn’t noticed their presence.
I’d no loose change to salve my conscience –
just a five-pound note, nothing smaller –
so I hurried by on the other side.
Lord, forgive me,
for I’d spent more on one treat for myself
than the fiver I begrudged to others.
I’d extolled the virtue of a generous heart
yet displayed the meanest of spirits,
my talk of concern and compassion
exposed for the sham it was.
Teach me, next time I’m asked to give,
to respond gladly,
and to offer not the least I can get away with
but more than I can truly afford.
Amen.