Psalm of the Weary Traveler (Day 12)

Psalm of the Weary Traveler

O LORD of heaven and earth,
Why hast though removed thy favor from thy servants?
We are weary in a strange land. We try to find favor in your sight in the service of your workers, they who are guests in our house. We greet them, Lord, and we feed them.
You are the source of all bounty and goodness.
Shine Your countenance upon each of them, and on Your servants here.

But You have found us lacking, O LORD.
You brought us into abundance when we expected drought.
You sent sustenance when we expected nothing.
Now You have removed Your hand, O LORD, in our wastefulness.
We have squandered Your days on soccer and books.
We have eaten our fill and let spoil the copious mangoes and plantain.
You have turned Your face from blessing when we became too proud of it.

Where is the water in the cistern, collected from your mighty rain clouds?
Why hast Thou removed thy current of electricity?
Why dost Thy Internet fail, which once flowed as the great river?
Where is the ice for our drinks, the signal for our cellphone?

Halt those damned mosquitoes from eating us in our sleep.
We toss in turn in our beds, wracked with itching hands.
Why didst Thou make those wretched creatures anyway? Surely they serve no purpose but to annoy us. And what’s up with the way people drive around here? They are rude 90% of the time. It’s worse than New Jersey. Couldn’t we have scored at least one goal in the World Cup? Next time? It’s really frickin’ embarrassing.

LORD, help us to know how we may best make use of sweat and toil,
for we perspire constantly in the sun and moist air.
Show us your mercy and grace, O LORD.
Ease our frustrations and bring us ever closer to You.

Thou are patient where we are not.
Your consolations are as sweet as honey, Your truth as simple as the sky.
O LORD, make haste to save us. Have pity on your servants.
Bring us not into Paradise only to turn it into a desert.