God, I know You are near,
even when I do not turn toward You.
You see what I see,
You feel what I feel,
even when I convince myself I’ve been abandoned.
The seasons rise and fall,
and You witness them all.
You go before me,
You dwell within me—
forgive me for so often forgetting Your presence.
Help me see You.
Help me feel You.
Teach me to observe my thoughts and emotions
without mistaking them for who I truly am.
So much of what I defend is only a false self.
God, draw me inward again—
back to the soul You breathed into me.
Back to what is eternal.
Back to You.
Thank You for all of it—
the trials that shape me,
the mercy that covers me,
the grace You show to this sometimes unlovable self.
You have never left.
Help me remember.
Amen.
