Psalm 131

I recently experimented, quite briefly, with what could be said in 100 words that might be worth reading. Of course countless intellects are capable of that. Whether I am is another matter. This morning, with limited time and grace for knowing I mustn't linger, I thought to myself, "What could be said in 10 minutes that might be worth reading?

Perhaps this is a new high, or low, for ephemerality. The absolute avalanche of words unleashed every day has little worth, mostly due to the impossible volume. How can one possibly sort out what is worth reading, and not?

Perhaps this Psalm helps, my daily reading:

Psalm 131 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

The pronouncement of self is either hubris or humility or, likely, something in between. I'm afraid I can't pray the Psalm without repentance; without asking, "Lord, make it so of me, deliver me from haughtiness, of thinking the words I have to say are the last word, have any true freight at all."

And then I am mercifully brought back to two things:

    1. The unabashed, innocent attitude of a child. the daring to be as we are with a miraculous lack of self-awareness that says, "I can trust God to do with me as he will and that He will do good." So maybe all the self-worry and over-seriousness can dissolve in a childlike trust of my heavenly Father.

    2. "Let Israel hope in the Lord." Which is to say in another way what #1 already said. At the end of the day, at our last breath, at the end of ourselves in any fashion -- the happiest of places to be -- we find our only hope really ever was and is in God.

That is enough -- 10 minutes with a bit allowed for editing.

Love to all, and to all a good morning!