The illusion of autonomy

The illusion of autonomy                                                                        

Rather than say, forgive me, Lord,

why not say thank You, thank You?

Not only for the pointed-out errors

but for the standing apart from them,

the by-His-grace opening of the eyes,

mind and heart, at least in retrospect,

to the sins that doom; that once went

undetected and unchallenged;

that once were deemed necessary,

even taken to be virtues.

Thank You for the ripening –

the slow gentle pull of the pure soul

up from the muck of illusion;

the ageless apparent journey

from stone hardness to fruition to dissolution.

And thank You, Lord, thank You,

for being the one witness to my battle,

my only gauge, my helpmate,

my guide, my only companion;

my one source of encouragement.

O child of God, let go of everything

by letting go the illusion of autonomy.