Joy visits us every day, slipping and sliding down the sidewalk of our lives like a giddy little girl learning how to roller-skate. She moves forward a few inches by carefully lifting her skates up and down and propelling herself forward, then loses her balance so she falls and hits the concrete, then happily gets up, smiling, and tries again. She wouldn't give up this experience for the world, even the soreness.
Thank you, God, for the wonderful times when Joy visits us and teaches us how to live life with all the enthusiasm of a child learning how to roller- skate, - even though we occasionally fall on the hard concrete of sadness and disappointment. Lift our hearts, Holy Spirit of Joy, so that, in spite of the pain, we can shout to the sky with unending hope "I wouldn't give up the Gift of Living this Life for the world!"
Patience visits us every day, kneeling on the living room floor of our lives like a fiercely focused little boy pulling together a pile of blocks, then laying block on top of block, balancing them carefully, slowly erecting a tower that rises higher, higher. His toddler brother may gleefully smash the tower into flying blocks, and the little boy might cry and try other things, but sooner or later he gathers the blocks together to begin to build his vision again.
Thank you, God, for the challenging times when Patience visits our lives and gives us a vision, a way You desire us to help build up Your kingdom. Patience shows us the blocks we can use - our inner resources, gifts, and talents - and teaches us to make and take the necessary time to do every work of ours well. Strengthen our hearts, Holy Spirit of Patience, so we focus with total concentration on a slow, careful building up of families, and relationships, and jobs, and ministries, and fruitful hobbies, and when someone comes to tear down what we've so carefully erected, even though we are afflicted, show us how and where to begin again.
Faithfulness visits us every day, like a small brother and sister spending the day together, indoors and out, fighting and making up, fighting and making up, and each one needs to make sure the other one gets a snack, and, before they fall asleep at night, they're each calling the other one's name to make sure that he or she is safe and near.
Thank you, God, for the inspiring moments when we glimpse how faithful You are to us in the transparent relationships of children. For, in spite of the times that we argue with You, You always make sure we have enough spiritual food to eat, and at night, when we call You, we know that we are safe because You are near. Deepen and widen our hearts, Holy Spirit of Faithfulness, to hold ever-growing faithful love, so we will desire to stay close to our God, close as a child holding another's hand. And, if we wander away, call us back to our God so we sleep safely wrapped in God's arms.
Dearest God, even though life's afflictions and disappointments wear on us, and darken our vision with cynicism and fear, open our hearts to discover the joyful, patient, faithful child who lives within us, ready to lead us forward with enthusiasm and hope. May we re-discover the innocence of children; may we re-find a child's desire to move forward without fear to embrace the newness of life that You continually offer us in love. Amen.