Rest

Shh. 
Come away a moment,
    my friend. 
    Come away
     from the lights, 
     and the crowds, 
     and the shops, 
     and the noise, 
     and the pressure, 
     and the worries,
    and the old wounds that 
            winter us
        before our time, 
Come and sit with me here. 
          Rest. 
   Just for a moment. 
Let me share with you once again 
  what we forget in our festive frenzy :
         He is coming...
 Down the long ages of despair 
      He comes as Hope. 
Down the rough road of doubt
     He comes as Faith. 
 Down the broken byways
           of the
      human heart 
   He comes as Love. 
      He is coming... 
Sit with me on the edge of waiting.... 
         Sit in sacred stillness...
    Breathe the deep breath of 
                   blessing. 
You do no have to do anything. 
          He is coming... 
Whether you are ready or not 
         Aware or not, 
         Able or not, 
      Present or not, 
     Believing or not, 
      He is coming... 
    As the sun rises, 
  As the moon shines, 
    as the tide turn, 
    as the stars dance, 
        He is coming.... 
        So do not worry. 
   Let the tyranny of 
           tension 
           fall from you... 
You never needed to carry it. 
    Let the false face of 
righteous readiness to defend, dissolve. 
     You never needed to wear it. 
     How could you ever be ready
                   for this?
For the first proclamation of the
Kingdom to be heard in a baby's 
                    cry. 
Nothing is asked of you but
       to be here and now 
    who you are. 
               Truly. 
                Fully. 
                Broken?
                Yes.
                Weak?
                 Yes. 
                 Called?
                 Oh yes.
            He is coming... 
        And He is calling you to come to Him. 
               As He always does. 
                As He always will. 
         So how will you greet Him, 
            the one who is coming?
          The one who calls you,
                     to His crib. 
                  ( Yes, you)
            Will you prepare a place for Him?
        Will you open the cave of your heart to Him?
        Will you place Him in the sanctuary
        of your soul?
   Will you lay Him upon the rough straw of your life?
     Will you swaddle Him with your silence?
  Will you offer Him the gentle warmth of animal breath?
   Will you offer Him your love?
             Or not?
       He is coming...
    Do not miss the moment 
      Of Mystery's
      mangered birth 
      by succumbing to
    Bethlehem 's busyness.
            No. 
Become as still as a shepherd watching the flock of slumbering sheep. 
Become as still as a sage watching the long dance of the stars. 
Become as still as Joseph hearing the Angels on the edge of dreams. 
Become as still as she who is the stillpoint of love's longing, filled with light,
     and whose silence brought forth the 
                Word of Love. 
          Be still and you will know 
              He is coming... 
                Always... 
            In stillness,
      on the edge of waiting... 
        He is coming for you.... 
        He is coming to you... 
                Always. 
         He is coming in Love. 

Richard Hendrick