Christian Reflection and Prayer

A poem entitled "One Thread,"-3 describes various aspects
of our lives as threads which we hold at one end in our hand...

One is the thread of mortality. Always there is the lurking fear
that the line will snap. We hold it tenderly. We must not let it
go.

Another thread represents our dreams and vision of getting
more out of life. The poet describes this thread as being
attached to a "high-flying kite" that flutters with the mighty
pull of our shifting hopes and dreams.

A third thread represents our fragile relationships with one
another. We're hardly aware of the moment when the tight
line slackens and there is nothing at all on the other end.

A fourth thread is but a "tangled mess" that won't come right:
mistakes, false starts, lost battles, angry words." (We just
can't seem to keep this line from tangling.)

Finally, there is a strange and mysterious thread. "It is my
steadying hand," the poet says. "When I am lost, I pull it
hard and find my way. When I am saddened, I tighten my
grip and gladness glides along its quivering path. This thread
becomes a channel of newness of life for it is God's hand that
is anchored on the other end."