In the gift of this new day,

In the gift of this present moment

In the gift of time and eternity intertwined,

Let us be thankful,

Let us be attentive,

Let us be open to what have never happened before.

I have been reading through my journal from my first Camino walk on the Camino Frances.  For Lent I made the promise that I would write more each day, at least 500 words, hopefully towards this book idea that I have but more like just the practice of writing each and every day. Everything I read about writing says you must practice the art of writing every day.  One of the exercises that I try to do to write more is to read in my journal, visualize one of the days I walked and write a little vignette from that day.

This morning I opened the pocket at the back of the journal and took out the notes given to me before I left. My dear friend circle in Portland had surrounded me and blessed parts of my body. They each wrote a note to me for my journey and I carried them with me through Spain.  I will keep them in my journal safe to remind me of what I carried.  There was also a post it that I had written on with the above prayer.  I remember taking it out each day to read to myself before walking. It was essential and has been essential to me.

I had forgotten it for a little while until this morning. My friend and teacher John Philip Newell wrote this prayer.  He prayed it each morning that we were on Iona together in September 2016 before he began his teaching for our group.  It reminds us to take each day as it comes, thanking the Creator for what is and what will be. Each day is a gift and holds gifts. Each day allows us to give gratitude for what we have and who we are and to whom we belong.  And each day is connected to all of time before and after it.  We are intertwined with all that is creation.

This morning it was a good reminder to me during this unreal and weird time. We are connected more than ever, have so much to be grateful for and we will not know what today or tomorrow brings.

For this moment, in the fourth Sunday of Lent, I give thanks.