Lord,
I reach the crest of Black Mountain
as I drive to Mass.
In the distance I see
the peaks of the Mournes
slightly greyed-out
by mist in the distance.
They are a welcome sight
which I haven’t seen for several days

And yet all that time, Lord,
the Mournes have been there,
large as life.
It’s not that the Mournes disappeared –
it’s simply that darkness and mist
have prevented me from seeing them.

Lord,
sometimes in life
I feel as if you have disappeared.
I don’t seem to sense your presence
and I feel a little bit lost.

At those times
remind me
that, like the Mournes,
you have not vanished –
something in my life
is simply preventing me
from seeing you.

At those times
remind me
to keep faith.
Remind me
to keep looking for you .
Remind me
that in time
the darkness in my life will lift
and I will see you again –
immense, eternal,
all-powerful and inexorable –
or, to put it simply,
My God.

© Claire Murray, 25/10/15