Lord,
today I’m deeply conscious
of suffering experienced
by people about whom I care:
one suffers
because of illness;
another suffers
at the death of his mother;
others suffer
because of circumstances at work.

As I consider the extent of their pain
I find myself steeped in sadness.
An image forms in my mind
of each of these people,
wandering in pain
in his or her own personal maze.

None of these people
can see a way out
and I can’t see a way out
but I’m aware
that you have a totally different view,
better even than a bird’s eye view;
you’ve got a God’s eye view
and you can see hope
even when it eludes us.

Lord,
bless those whom I care about.
Walk by the side of each person,
offering consolation,
reassurance
and gentle guidance
so that each of them may find
their way out of
their own personal maze of human suffering.

© Claire Murray