"Take me by the hand, and lead me."

Inviting Spirit In

“Take me by the hand and lead me. Lead me through the desert sands. Bring me living water. Holy Spirit, come.”

Brian Wren (Dust and Ashes Touch Our Face; Refrain)

This is not what anyone would think of as a Christmas song, but it was playing in my head upon waking this morning. We sing it every Sunday right after the Prayer of Confession. When, unbidden, Spirit hands me something like that, I try to pay attention.

I don't know about you, but everyday I need help to keep from deepening my karmic debt—my thoughts are unruly, my words too often spoken in haste, I am unconscious of my own embedded prejudices and sometimes, I'm simply insensitive and forgetful. I often joke to friends, “I need somebody to lead me around by the hand.” Now I know who that somebody ought to be.

Most of us ask for spiritual intervention from time to time, but I wonder how we would be different if this refrain were background music to our daily lives. What if we were to adopt the notion that in every moment of every day, Spirit brings living water if we will but drink. Would we be more conscious of our words and deeds; would we be slower to criticize and quicker to praise? Would I?

This may not be the season to sing about dust and ashes, but it is the season to practice inviting Spirit in. In the traffic and inclement weather, in the crowded shops and hurried moments, in the long lines and delays, as well as in the joy and the merriment, Spirit is there, bidden or not, bringing refreshment to anyone who asks.

                                                      In the Spirit,

                                                          Jane