Patricia Franz is hosting Spiritual Thursday this month. She selected the theme of Trust.
Above all, trust in the slow work of God…Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.
I’ve been binge listening to Sara Bareilles’s new album “Good Grief.” Every song touches me in a deep way. I’ve also listened to a few of her interviews around the release and while she doesn’t say her trust is in God directly, she does believe in the universe, the eternity of all life. Her song “Forever” is about the sacred spirit that holds us all. Be careful, this one will make you cry.
I struggle with trusting that there is a “plan.” I really don’t believe there is some grand plan, but I do trust that our maker, creator God is beside us on this life journey. I pray. I meditate. I sing. All the while looking for signs pointing to hope. Hope is in the songs, the stories, the poetry, and always, in Love.
Andrea Gibson made a strong imprint on so many lives and continues to do so. Sara Bareilles wrote a song that includes Andrea’s words called “Love Story.”
James Crews wrote a poem for Andrea that was published by Rattle on Sept. 28, 2026 in response to her line, “We will spend our entire lives praying for what we have.”
I wrote a poem alongside a bonus poem James Crews offered on Substack. Poetry, songs, music connects us to each other in ways we cannot understand.
Praying for What I Have
Sleeping, snoozing, I awoke through
darkness in the trees,
wondering how I could make
a day worthy of my waking,
worrying about nothing.
I was trying to forgive myself
when out of the dawn, from
beyond my window, a barred owl sent me
its who-cooks-for-you call
on fall fresh air, and a word
fell from my snoring breath—
Thanks— as the owl
distilled silence into gratitude.
Margaret Simon, draft
[…] Thursday’s Spiritual Journey post, I wrote beside James […]
Thanks, Margaret, for sharing your walk and resources. I especially love the owl that distilled silence into gratitude. How wise! And the whimsical owls! May I say, “What a hoot?” I’m saving the song for the right moment. Thanks again.
I think about “God’s plan” — with similar feelings, Margaret. My theology work has led me to a sense that God’s plan is to bring all of creation (human and other-than-human) to fullness of life. And then God trusts us “to make a day worthy of [our] waking” (Love that!) But I ask myself: Do I trust in a God-being where all things begin? Or a universal spirit that holds creation together? And then I wonder, does it matter… as long as I trust?
I heard Sara Bareilles’ interview with Anderson Cooper and that song. So beautiful. Like your poem.
Margaret, “Hope is in the songs, the stories, the poetry, and always, in Love.” – lovely thought! Next: “wondering how I could make/ a day worthy of my waking,/worrying about nothing.”- what a reflective thought. I have to say that most of the time, I wake up worrying about a myriad of issues. I amlooking forward to reading some of the interviews with Sara and listening to her whole song. Last thought: “distilled silence into gratitude” – I just love the way that sounds.
I’ve never heard of the “who-cooks-for-you” call before, but I’ve been sitting here crooning it and it does sound like an owl.
“…a barred owl sent me its
who-cooks-for-you call
on fall fresh air,…”
That “call on fall fresh air” warms my poet’s heart, such beautiful words to summon up.
Thanks for your post, Margaret, and for sharing the song.
Margaret, I think many of us have trust issues because we tend to rely on ourselves. As others have said, I love the idea of making the day worthy of my waking. It is so easy to fritter away the day and nothing worthwhile to show for our time awake.
These owls are creative and fun! Makes me want to try some collage postcards again. We have some Great Horned Owls that talk across the farm over their early morning coffee. I wish they would make themselves seen.