From Ted Loder’s Guerillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle
how shall i pray?
are tears prayers, lord?
are screams prayers,
or groans
or sighs
or curses?
can trembling hands be lifted to you,
or clenched fists
or the cold sweat that trickles down my back
or the cramps that knot my stomach?
will you accept my prayers, lord,
my real prayers,
rooted in the muck and mud and rock of my life,
and not just the pretty, cut-flower,
gracefully arranged bouquet of words?
will you accept me, lord,
as i really am,
messed up mixture of glory and grime?
Beautiful.