Promises, promises, promises…
I’m pretty good at making promises
– not so good at keeping them…
and promises to others
and promises to myself
and when I make them,
I really mean to keep them,
every one of them
I stall.
I put things off.
I « forget. »
I tell myself, « I can’t. »
I just don’t get around to it…
too quickly…
And sometimes I make promises I can’t keep
even if and when I try
– and then I get discouraged…
help me keep them simple,
help me keep them modest,
O Lord – just help me keep them!
I promise to spend some time in prayer today, Lord:
just you and me, in a quiet place,
where I’ll share with you
what’s in my heart and on my mind…
I promise to find a way to help someone today:
to lend a hand, give my time, listen closely,
offer comfort, pay a visit, make a call,
help the poor or shelter someone’s pain…
And I promise to be honest with myself about:
one bad habit, one undone task,
one unpaid debt, one unreturned favor,
one unanswered call and yes: one unkept promise…
Lord, help me with my promises today:
help me keep them simple,
help me keep them modest,
O Lord – just help me keep them!
