in my son's honor, as he gives thanks over big and little

All you big things, bless the Lord
Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria
The Rift Valley and the Serengeti Plain
Fat baobabs and shady mango trees
Bless the Lord
Praise and extol Him for ever and ever.

All you tiny things, bless the Lord
Busy black ants and hopping fleas
Wriggling tadpoles and mosquito larvae
Flying locusts and water drops
Pollen dust and tsetse flies
Millet seeds and dried dagaa
Bless the Lord
Praise and extol Him for ever and ever.

"African Canticle"
from Earth Prayers from Around the World

God makes me laugh

"Don't be afraid, Jacob, you worm." Isaiah 41:14 (God's Word translation)

Okay, here I was feeling all anxious and severe and I come across this. You maketh me laugh, O Authentic One, O One Who Calls It As It Is. Seriously, I appreciate it. And at the risk of taking us to new levels of hilarity (with a near-Peter-Gabriel reference): I'll be your sledge. Thank you for the joy... Signed, Another of Your Worms

"I will help you," declares the LORD, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel. "I am going to make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp, double-edged teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them to dust. You will turn the hills into straw. You will winnow them. The wind will carry them away. The windstorm will scatter them. But you will find joy in the LORD and praise the Holy One of Israel." Isaiah 41:15-16 (God's Word translation)

because I feel inadequate

Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. 2 Corinthians 8-10 (The Message)

I more or less hate that scripture, God. Not so much the first part as the second, the "I was glad to let it happen" part. I mean, honestly, could Paul have been any more cloying? But it's true I feel inadequate in so many ways and have hope -- on my good days -- that you will bring good out of my pitiful condition. And that's pretty much all I have to say for now, for fear of sounding pretty cloying myself. I'm glad you are you, Mighty One.

bullies and servants

Jesus got them together to settle things down. "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around," he said, "and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage." Matthew 10:42-45 (The Message)

It certainly isn't the first time, and I guess it won't be the last. I get so angry when my children are attacked by bullies. It's like a double injury: there is my child, hurt in physical and emotional ways, and then there is the broken life of the offender who is often much older and more deeply immersed in bad decisions and environments. Lord, help me be a stronghold, a deliverer. And help me create a safe haven for my children in addition to helping them navigate complex social situations. May my children grow to be hungry to serve, rather than hungry to rule over others.