WWRPF

I’m sure many of you will be familiar with the initials WWJD- What Would Jesus Do? Maybe you had a poster, or a wrist band? I personally have found these four letters very helpful over the years in prompting me to think before acting.

So today I bring you a new set of letters – WWRPF- What Would Roxy Pray For?

Oh, Roxy is my dog, if you didn’t know. Often as humans we make this world far more complicated than it needs to be. It is by reflecting on the simple needs and unbending loyalty that Roxy has that I often get clarity.

Let us Pray…

Heavenly Parent, we pray for simple food, not too much, not too little. We pray for fresh water, a comfy bed and a warm fire to lie by. We pray for shelter from the rain. We pray for fresh air, fields to run through, friends to play with.

We pray for companionship, someone to sit with, someone to give us attention and show us affection. We pray that when we need space we are given space.

We pray for someone to recognise when we are ill, upset, unwell or in pain, someone to help, to bring that care which we need.

Jesus, why is that we can all agree that a humble dog deserves all these things and so much more, yet so often we deny and deprive them from our fellow humans, from strangers, from people in our community, loved ones?

Lord, push us daily to provide the very basics to all your beautiful beasts and creatures; from ravens to turtles, from butterflies to tigers; from the homeless woman sleeping on our street, hungry for food, to the wealthy woman sat alone in her grand house, starving for emotional care. From the immigrant man struggling for shelter, to our best friends substituting drink and drugs in place of living water and love.

Holy Spirit, help us to remember daily that you love us as much, if not more, than we love our pets. If we could truly learn to accept that level of love, imagine how the world could change. We pray that each day we could live a little more like a dog; loyal, patient, forgiving and faithful. Never holding grudges, always showing compassion, always loving without conditions

Always loving without conditions.

Not consumed by body image, fear and self loathing. Living simply and simply living and being.

We thank you Lord for this abundance of nature and know that in every creature including each other is a lesson ready to be learnt

Amen.