Dear friends,

I was going to write about how we can become complacent in dysfunction as much as in comfort; about whether and when we should pray for God to shake us out of our comfort zone; about welcoming hard times as opportunities for spiritual awakening. 

Instead, I encourage you to listen to the latest episode of Friends in Formation.

In the episode, a listener asks whether we should pray ​“Disturb us, Lord” — a reference to a poem by Sir Francis Drake. As always, James, Richella, and Nathan respond with gracious wisdom.

And I wrote a poem inspired by that poem:

Awaken me, Lord, when
I have nodded off to the rhythm
Of a steady paycheck
Or sedated myself
In a cycle of shame.

Awaken me, Lord, when
Lulled by lesser things
I mistake sleep for shalom
And silence the longings of my soul
One swipe at a time.

Awaken me, Lord, to recover
The dreaming of my youth;
But give me new dreams,
Vessels shattered then
Strengthened by suffering,
Reclaimed jars that brim with
Bread for hungry hearts

I ask you to open up
The inner places shut down
By trauma and triggers,
By my choices and others’,
By taking on too much
And leaning in too little.

Awaken me, Lord,
To your goodness
By your love,
With a kiss or a quake
Or any means necessary;
Because being awake 
With you and to you
Is better than being asleep
Anywhere else.