2 Chronicles 1:7-13
That night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ Solomon said to God, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to my father David, and have made me succeed him as king. O LORD God, let your promise to my father David now be fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of yours?’ God answered Solomon, ‘Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may rule my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.’ So Solomon came from* the high place at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

Wisdom is often bestowed when we look at our own experiences openly and prayerfully. God's movement and action in the midst of what we "see" may help us discover what is wise and true and lasting. There is always so much more going on than what initially meets the eye.

How can we harvest this wisdom? How can we discover the golden nuggets that may be obscured by illusions and distractions? Can you (and will you) accept the ways that living through 2009 has prepared you for 2010?

Each moment is both insignificant and pivotal. Our days may seem insignificant in terms of the of moments, days and years that stream throughout creation. Resting in awareness of God's heartbeat, the pulse and perpetual flow of spoken creation...all that is or ever was or ever will be...I realize that the marked moments 2009 are puny. As Frederick Buechner says, each day is "a moment of light surrounded on all sides by darkness and oblivion".

However, each pin point of light in time may be pivotal. Any given day (any moment, for that matter) can be the breath or the heartbeat that is the first or the last. Changes and shifts are always occuring. Some erupt in "lurches" while others unfold with gradual evolution. All of time contains story...and each of one "us" contains a portion of the neverending story.

Sometimes I envision my life as a vast library. The book shelves contain the episodes and expressions of my life. Some years appear quite thin, while other phases of life resulted in serial volumes.



Pausing to review the episodes of 2009 I notice that some stories are focused upon processes, others are poetic, some are more didactic ("how to .....) There are some tenderhearted tales and others that read like high adventure. Admittedly, some have the crazy humor of a Dr. Seuss book!

How about you? What stories were written in your 2009? Perhaps some emerged from your connection to divine love and wisdom and reveal broad, even prophetic, insights. Perhaps others are simple sketches drawn by your "self" as you wandered about wearing egocentric blinders.

What has the divine author of your life written on your pages this year? What words will you commit to memory.... what events or meandering thoughts will dissolve into the past? Are there relationships and dreams that might have "sequels" or some that are so profound that they will become enduring classics? How do the experiences of the past year shape and direct your prayer for the year to come?

Note: For "seasoned" visitors, you may recognize some of these thoughts and images from last year's end of year reflections -- somehow the message still seems valid! Forgive me if it seemed repetitious to you!