Just 2 Rules....

One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him,

“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.”(Mk 12:28-34)

Dear Lord,

You are truly Lord alone, and the more I try to know you, the more I realize I don't know you nearly well enough.  It doesn't mean I don't love you, I totally do. The more I focus on the One True God, the more I notice the unimportance of all the things that compete for that position in my life.  TV shows, unimportant information, fear, food, my own satisfaction, and comfort all compete to be little gods of my life, pushing their way to the forefront, trying to take over.  They suck my time away from what's really important. They numb me, and lull me away from anything of any importance.  For this I am sorry, and I ask your help.   

I want to love you with all of my Heart, but the truth is, I have much better organs!  My spleen is pristine!  My lungs are pretty functional, but my heart has seen better days.  It's been beaten up and broken.  It's been stomped on and kicked around, and it's been very cranky today.  It's been beating to some messed up rhythms, and I want to give my best to you, Lord!  I'll keep giving you my whole heart, but please be gentle with me.  I know there is no one else I can trust more than the one who created me, arrhythmia and all, and I believe that you allow this disruption because it is an opportunity for grace and growth.  

My soul is yours.  Eternally.  No question.  I give it gladly, only to you.  

My mind is abuzz with thoughts and distraction and ideas and doubts and fears and funny stories, and grand schemes.  Many of them are good things, meant to further your Kingdom and share your love.  So much of it is just noise.  Please help me tell the difference.

My strength feels like it's failing.  If I only have so much strength, please let me know how to spend it.  If it does fail, please fill me with YOUR strength, so I can do your will.         

One great way to spend that strength is loving my neighbor.  Help me to love my neighbor and help them to seek you and find the Love I have found in you.  Help me to treat them with kindness and love and forgiveness.  Show me ways to share with others all the good things I wish could happen for myself and my family.  Please take me out of my own way, so you can be Lord of my whole life.

Lord, please help me to follow all of your commandments.  Both of them.

Love,

Me.