Sleeping with Bread Monday

I figured that as I am now reading the actual Sleeping with Bread book, I should probably resurrect this for my blog!

For those of your still a bit confused about SWB, I can't give you too much else as I have just started the book but each Monday I do SWB, I'll try to give you a little bit of background as I read.  What I have learned so far is that SWB is a way to describe The Examen.  The Examen is basically this, as quoted from the book:

For many years we have ended each day the same way.  We light a candle, become aware of God's loving presence, and take about five minutes of quiet while we each ask ourselves two questions:

For what moment today am I most grateful?
For what moment today am I least grateful?

I'm still working on fully understanding it myself as I read the book, so stay tuned for more insight in the weeks to come.

But for today, for what moment am I most grateful?

Our prayer group had its second meeting today and I see myself growing to dearly love this group.  We share, we talk, we pray and in those prayers, I find myself not only growing more comfortable with praying aloud, but gathering strength for myself as well as being able to feel God's presence through the group and the prayers.   I am very thankful and grateful for that hour and a half tonight that was intimate, both with God and with the other participants.

For what moment today am I least grateful?

I don't like feeling helpless but there are times when we are just powerless to do anything other than pray.  A teenager is hurting because she has been hurt by a parent and she is rebelling in the best possible way; she wants to go to a different church from her family.  I guess I just feel that there are way worse ways she could be rebelling!  However, though I am privy to this information, I can do very little to offer her advice, simply because I am an adult and it would not look right for me to be in the midst of this.  So, though I am least grateful for the temporary feeling of helplessness and sadness on behalf of this young person, I  can still think of our prayer group, where we raised this person and her family up tonight before I was even aware of the latest struggles.  And because of that, I am simply prompted to keep standing in the gap for this young woman.

I want to end tonight with some song lyrics that speak of standing in the gap and this goes out to this teenager.

 heard that you were hurting
That you were suffering pain
But I didn't dare just turn my head
And look the other way
For when your heart is aching
My heart is aching too
Let me help you bear your burden
That's the least that I can do

I'll be standing in the gap for you
Just remember someone, somewhere is praying for you
Calling out your name
Praying for your strength
I'll be standing in the gap for you

Right now you may be troubled
But everything will work out fine
For the Spirit knows before you speak
What is on your heart and mind
So I'll be interceding
Til your standing strong again
The peace that passes understanding
Is going to be yours, but until then

I'll be standing in the gap for you
Just remember someone, somewhere is praying for you
Calling out your name
Praying for your strength
I'll be standing in the gap for you

So hang on my friend
It won't be long
And you have the strength
To carry on
For when two or three are walking together
It will be a much lighter load
For isn't that what a brother and a sister are for?

I'll be standing in the gap for you
Just remember someone, somewhere is praying for you
Calling out your name
Praying for your strength
I'll be standing in the gap for you