JOURNEY'S END

Dear God of All Time,

When traveling, I almost always find myself ready and eager to return home as the trip comes close to its end.

I want to return home to the familiar,
the comfortable.

But not so much with the end of life,
the end of this road,
the end of this journey,
the trajectory into the unfamiliar
and frightening.

But I need to understand that death is really entry into my truest home in eternity.

I should, every day, make every effort
to be worthy, and to be ready.

Still, I must take my life one day at a time,
and not entertain morbid thoughts
of my last days, decline, or death itself.

Only the very old, tired and sick tell us that they truly "are ready" to go.

But without being morbid, I should give
some thought to my last days,
my last morning,
my last conscious hour,
my last chance to do something good
in this life before it is all over
as I depart and the curtain falls.

I need to confront what is a certain reality and prepare for it, if not eagerly,
at least sensibly.

And why not eagerly, if I have squared myself with You, my Creator, cast off all enmities, apologized for all injuries, asked You to forgive all my sins and shortcomings?

Let me try to put aside gloom and fear
and doubt so as to ready myself
for the last dawn, the last day,
the final chance to do good before I face Saint Peter with his big account book
in the sky.

Let me pack my eternal bags with, good acts,
selfless generously, kindness, forgiveness and prayers.

I ask You, Oh, God, to help me be ready,
and help me not to fear, but rather bravely, hopefully and eagerly, prepare to meet
You in the eternal hereafter.

You know my heart and my will.
Make me generous. Make me strong.

Make me ready.
Make me brave.
Make me Yours!

Amen

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