Allie Osborne
Minister of Missions and Children’s Discipleship, Second Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA
I was raised on a farm in the middle-of-nowhere Virginia where the grass was always green, the trees were so old and big they could provide shade for the whole yard and the stars were bright enough that we rarely needed the porchlight. Now I live in a city where bird chirps have been replaced by car horns, the artificial noise of the fountain in my courtyard drowns out the sound of any breeze and I haven’t seen the stars in months. This is a blessing for the Holy Spirit to find us inside of our concrete buildings and parking lot traffic. For us to remember Christ’s call to see each other and know each other, and for God’s creation to find its way to us even when the beauty of nature feels so far.
A Blessing for People Who Never Get to See the Stars
God of…all of THIS,
I ask for your blessing
Bless this space
Bless these people
Bless this moment in my day
When solitude is found surrounded by strangers
In the coffee shop
On a walk through the park
In a crowded movie theater
Bless the thousands of faces that I lay eyes on every day
Bless their families, their jobs
Bless their morning routine, their conflict with friends
Remind them to drink water today
Bless the cars as they drive by
As I wonder about each driver and their story
Where are they going and who is waiting for them to get there?
Bless the smells of this city
Or better yet, bless my poor nose
Bless the rain that washes the sidewalks clean
Bless the breeze that cools us down
Bless that one tree that spits sap on my car in the church parking lot
In moments when I feel so far from you, God…
I wish I could look at the stars and see you there
I wish the rain soaked into the ground
Instead of running into the sewer
I wish I could walk outside and be completely alone with you
Thank you for this city and all its lights
For the confidence it takes to be yourself in a crowd
Bless the overwhelming moments
And the moments of relief
Bless the intentionality of community here
When there are so many places to be, Lord
Bless each moment I spend with you
And all these people here with me
Amen.
Pray...Give...Go.