Friday, August 12, 2011

The Desire to Please You



Three mornings this week, Jamie Johnson sent Surfside Campers out to enjoy a "Solo Time" with God. In addition to recommended Scripture passages and reflection questions, Jamie encouraged campers to pray a wonderful prayer from Thomas Merton's "Thoughts in Solitude."

It gives me tremendous joy to know that our high school campers have been praying this prayer this week:
MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude" (copyright Abbey of Gethsemani)