Posts Tagged ‘journeys’

 

Fear

Posted on: November 3rd, 2010 by tobendlight

Scary Sky UkokoWhat if fear could become a teacher, a signal for a moment of bravery, a personal call for a moment of heroism? We would learn to embrace our fears as gifts and to use them to heal ourselves and others. This prayer is from a series about difficult emotions, including “Doubt,” “Shame” and “Anger.” To along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

Fear
G-d of veiled mystery,
G-d of hidden destinations,
I’ve walked through jet black nights
Waiting for the hint of dawn.
I’ve climbed the silent trail
Hoping to discover another wandering soul.
I’ve risen at daybreak
To conquer fierce winds and shifting snows.
I live between moments of power and moments of despair,
Between victory and defeat,
Between crushing losses and uncertain futures.

Fear is a memory.
Fear is a warning.
Fear offers a choice.

Holy One,
G-d who placed challenges and triumphs
In the path of the righteous
And at the feet of our ancestors,
Help me to see my fear as a tool,
As a source
And as a friend.
Let fear be my calling to bravery,
An invitation to vitality and strength.

Blessed are You, G-d of trials and victories,
Who created fear as the pathway to power.

© 2010 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: I use this prayer for day 23 of counting the Omer. Other prayers in this series include: “Doubt,” “Shame” and “Anger.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: KOCO Oklahoma City Radio

Being Lost

Posted on: October 24th, 2010 by tobendlight

Here’s a simple prayer for safety.

Please listen along as you read. (Click on the triangle in the slider bar below. The entire text follows.)

Being Lost
The trail has narrowed,
The path has faded,
And You, G-d of Old,
Are my trusted Guide.

I am not lost, but I’ve lost my way.
I am not gone, but I’ve gone astray.
Help me to find the way back to
Safety and shelter,
Family and friends.
Protect me,
Strengthen me,
And give me endurance,
So that I may return to a life
Of service and love.

© 2010 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: My other traveler’s prayers include: “On the Road,” “On the Trail” and “For Travel.” “On the Trail” is one of my favorites.

Please use these prayers. See “Share the Prayer!” in the right hand column.

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On the Road

Posted on: October 10th, 2010 by tobendlight

I took buses in the wrong direction in Jerusalem twice today. The second time I landed at a bus stop an hour from my destination. I met Abebe, a 21-year-old Ethiopian yeshiva student. We talked. When he found out I was going to The Kotel he decided to come with. We walked through the Old City together at night, davened ma’ariv at the Wall and he insisted on buying dinner, schwarma with chips. As the evening ended, I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. He asked me to bless him. I did. And so we were both blessed.

On the 10th night of our 12-day journey around Mount Rainier, Gary, Michael and I met two women at the shelter at Indian Bar. We had a blast. It was a great night of camaraderie and story-telling after a long, harrowing and ultimately triumphant day on the trail.

These moments of instant connection with strangers-who-aren’t-strangers are abundant in my life. And they surprise me every time. This traveler’s prayer celebrates the companions we meet along the way. My other prayers for travel are: “For Travel” and “On the Trail.”

To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

On the Road
G-d of the wayfarer, the traveler, the seeker,
G-d of the inner journey and the outer journey,
Holy One who sends us out to find holiness and light,
Thank You for the gift of kindness from strangers,
The presence of help on the path
And guidance along the way.
With Your loving hand
You provide signs and signals
To those who are willing to listen and to hear.

G-d of mystery and secrets,
The path has its dangers,
The road has its joys and struggles
And at times You seem too distant to reach.
For the struggles ahead we turn to You for comfort.
For the blessings of hope and joy,
Succor along the way,
We give thanks.

Blessed is the G-d of All,
You who provides fellow travelers on the journey out and the journey home,
Give me the opportunity and willingness to be of service to others along the way.
Blessed are You, G-d who provides companions on the journey home.

© 2010 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: For two more traveler’s prayers, check out: “For Travel” and “On the Trail.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

 

“Alden has become one of Reform Judaism’s master poet-liturgists…" - Religion News Service, Dec. 23, 2020

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"Alden Solovy has become one of the most revered liturgists of the last decade…" - Jewish Post & Opinion, March 29, 2023

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