Lost and Found

Not a great deal of time for creative thinking recently, so thought I would share a prayer meditation that I have written for the revision of my book, Rhythms of Grace. It's called Lost and Found and reflects how those of us in the evangelical and charismatic traditions sometimes feel:

Lost and Found

Here I am Lord
Caught in my compulsion to busyness
Trapped by my ambitions and my goals
A prisoner to expectations within and without
Living at speed
Rushing A to B
Locked in cruise control;
Living on the edge
Always on the go
Exhausted (but still strong!)
Worn-out (but who would guess?)
Lost in my activity (hope it doesn’t show!).

And longing -
For a better way to live
For something deeper
More substantial, solid, real
Longing for you if truth be known
For I have lost you in the crowd
I can’t hear you in the noise
I don’t feel your hand upon me like before.

But something stirs within me now
And hope wells up afresh
You love me as I am
And where I am right now
And I can simply be myself
In all my humanness
And let the Shepherd find this sheep
And hold me once again
No fear or shame or need to hide
But joy that I am found.