The First Carol

  Last night I could hear the surf through my open bedroom window.  All night it crashed against the shore, advancing and receding.  The more quietly I lay, the louder it became, until it seemed to fill the room with its thunder.  How lovely to lie in the darkness and hear the ocean’s voice just outside my window!  I was reminded that even in the darkness your voice can be heard when I lie silent.  I thank you, Lord, for all the forms and shapes Your voice takes, for the laughter of gulls, for the harsh croak of a heron, for the soughing branches of pine trees, for the roar of ocean waves.  May I never grow impatient with these voices or dismiss their message; you created this world and still speak to us through it.  I thank you, God, for your voices that reach out to me—even in the darkness. Amen.