Porch Prayers

I am not alone. There's a Stone I'm built upon.
There's a Love that will never let me go.
He hears my every cry. He knows how to understand me.
He is my one Defense, day and night.

I rest my soul on the Rock of the ages,
And my feet stand firm on a sure foundation.
And all my hope, in this salvation...
Jesus, Jesus - Rock of ages.

(excerpt from 'Jesus, Rock of Ages'; by Christy and Nathan Nockels; Capitol Records 2015)

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When husband is away, I am in charge of watering the flowers. This is one of my favorite parts about being a homeowner... having real flowers and soil to care for, and an actual yard with grass. Even though it requires some work, it brings a lot of joy.

And maybe it's because I'm pregnant, but this year I am especially enjoying the actual process of caring for everything. Watering the flowers, pinching off the old buds, trimming the bushes, raking the mulch... it hasn't felt like work. It has felt like a privilege. It has made me happy.

Early this morning, I was sitting in the rocker on our front porch, listening to the water drip from the hanging flower pots nearby. There were birds chattering on the telephone wires, happy as can be... a neighbor was mowing their yard a few houses down. And I was sitting there, rocking, reading my Bible, and praying with my eyes open.

There's a type of worship that happens when your eyes are closed... and then there's the type that only happens when your eyes are open. Today was that second kind, for me.

It's when you're listening to the birds talk to one another, and you realize that God knows what they're saying... and He knows what your heart is saying, too. That you miss your husband - yet you're happy about where he is and what he's doing. That you miss your brother. That you can't wait to be a mom... and yet, you're scared, too. It's the type of worship that happens when you realize that God knows their name, even before you've decided what it will be. When your hand flutters to your stomach, and you know it will all be okay.

Eyes open, these are the prayers. Like incense, they mixed with the smell of the freshly cut grass from the neighbor a few houses down, and they rose. It came as no surprise, when I realized that my eyes were wet... they usually are, when I'm free enough in my heart, to be moved. To be honest, with a God who knows me. To let go, and fall into His presence.

It is a peace that passes all understanding - just like He said it would be. The birds express their song,  and the flowers are satisfied... and I sing a song of my own, as porch prayers rise.

- - -

I rest my soul on the Rock of the ages,
And my feet stand firm on a sure foundation.
And all my hope, in this salvation...
Jesus, Jesus - Rock of ages.