Image: Nina Bisognani
Let there be Dragons
When I was a child, Lent was a time of discipline.
I usually gave up one of my favorite things- chocolate.
I thought a lot about not being the perfect Christian.
The consequences could be dreadful.
I feared I would go to Hell if I sinned
Or spend endless time in Purgatory
Surrounded by evil creatures I called dragons.
The dragons were more powerful at night
Sometimes I felt them peering at me from
The edge of the woods around dusk.
Thoughts I was able to control during the day
Crept into my mind as darkness fell.
There was anxiety and the uncertainty of not knowing
Where life would lead me next.
Now, over half a century later, dragons are still at work.
Life is still beyond our control. Evil still exists.
Shattered families, bombed out buildings and mass burial
sites along the sides of roads are branded in our brains.
This year I choose not to give up something I wish for.
Instead, my heart tells me to give to others what they need
to survive and regain hope. My gift of choice is prayer.
For those who are hungry, I pray for a plentiful supply of food.
For those who are suffering grief from tragedy and loss, I pray for peace.
For those who are so weary they can barely make it through the day,
I pray for rest. I pray for God’s grace and for our comfort in knowing he is always with us.
Let there be dragons. Together, we will overcome.
Nina Bisognani