Dear God,
whom I call you Heavenly Father. I thank you for always being by my side, and calling back to You, whenever You find me straying away from you. You are the light, that gently guides me, even in the midst of the darkness.
I call You Lord, for You are my creator. You create all things in your wisdom and You have always a plan for us, even though it does not seem apparent to us.
You are my Friend. The friendly voice in my head that occasionally banters with me, and at times, comfort me when I am in need of Your love. Yet, sometimes, You admonish me from doing things that I am not supposed to do, but very often I do not consciously hear you doing so. Not because You give me free will, but because the voice of my Ego is so loud, that I do not practise discernment in my thoughts and actions.
You are the Passion. The One that creates stirring of hope and love in my heart, and because of my love for You, that I am led to act in faith in doing things that reflects that God is love. It is passion that makes me consciously try to look at everyone I interact with as if as Christ is in them. For You led Jesus to tell me, to love You as how I would love myself, but also love You as how I would love my neighbour.
I thank You for putting people around me that helped me to come back to You like the return of the lost son back to his father, in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32). I thank You for always telling me in one way or another, that You will always love me. And by Your grace, You will always show me compassion and mercy, even as I sin.
I am Zacchaeus the tax collector (Luke 19:1–10), the one whom Jesus treated with grace and compassion. I yearn for Your love, even as I am so far from you. I am at the margins of the society, I am outside of the institutional church. Yet, You have never ever forgotten about me, and You award me with gifts that You want me to use, to spread Your love to the margins of the society.
You name me Clare and You always remind me of drawing inspiration from St Francis of Assisi and the Franciscans — to see Christ in others, and remember that I am an instrument of peace, and where there is hatred, let me sow, nothing but love.
