I am a little church (no great cathedral)

i am a little church (no great cathedral)
far from the splendor and squalor of hurrying cities
-i do not worry if briefer days grow briefest,
i am not sorry when sun and rain make April

my life is the life of the reaper and the sower;
my prayers are prayers of earth's own clumsily striving
(finding and losing and laughing and crying) children
whose any sadness or joy is my grief or my gladness

around me surges a miracle of unceasing
birth and glory and death and resurrection:
over my sleeping self float flaming symbols
of hope, and i wake to a perfect patience of mountains

i am a little church (far from the frantic
world with its rapture and anguish) at peace with nature
-i do not worry if longer nights grow longest;
i am not sorry when silence becomes singing

winter by spring, i lift my diminutive spire to
merciful Him whose only now is forever:
standing erect in the deathless truth of His presence
(welcoming humbly His light and proudly His darkness)

poem by e.e. cummings

e.e. cummings is probably my favorite (well, only) poet. On the wall next to my bed in the dorm I have this poem posted. Occasionally, when I'm having some technical difficulties I find myself looking over and reading this poem. Lately, this poem has been on my mind. There are so many things that I believe the poet is trying to say but the things that stick out the most to me are:

• You don't have to be big or fancy for your prayers or worship to count.
• It doesn't matter where you are or how you worship as long as He is the one you are worshipping.
• Not only should we rejoice in our happiness but also in our sufferings.
• You should not measure your amount of worth or how Christian you are by your actions alone nor by the number of people you share God with.
• We should rejoice even if it is just one person's life we change.
• Just like in my ASL class God only cares if you try.
• God knows your struggles.
• We need only plant the seed and the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.
• Overall, always be rejoicing because we have so much to be thankful for. :)