Prayer

Lord of all pots and pans and tins; since I've no time to be
a saint by doing lovely things or watching late with Thee,
or dreaming in the twilight, or storming heaven's gates -
make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates.

Although I must have Martha's hands, I have a Mary mind,
and when I black the boots and shoes,Thy sandals Lord, I find.
I think of how Thou trod the Earth, each time I scrub the floor;

Accept this meditation Lord, I haven't time for more.

Warm all the kitchen with Thy love and light it with Thy peace;
Forgive me all my worrying and make all grumbling cease.

Thou who didst love to give men food in room or by the sea,
Accept this service that I do:
I do it unto Thee.

How Will I Know?

Ok, so here are the lyrics to an old-school Whitney Houston song I discovered in my iTunes library the other day. It intrigued me:


There’s a boy I know, he’s the one I dream of
Looks into my eyes, takes me to the clouds above
Ooh I lose control, can’t seem to get enough
When I wake from dreaming, tell me is it really love

Chorus:
How will I know (don’t trust your feelings)
How will I know
How will I know (love can be deceiving)
How will I know
How will I know if he really loves me
I say a prayer with every heart beat
I fall in love whenever we meet
I’m asking you what you know about these things
How will I know if he’s thinking of me
I try to phone but I’m too shy (can’t speak)
Falling in love is all bitter sweet
This love is strong why do I feel weak

Oh, wake me, I’m shaking, wish I had you near me now
Said there’s no mistaking, what I feel is really love

Chorus

If he loves me, if he loves me not (x3)

Chorus



Here's why I found this to be so intriguing. It seems to me, that what HE feels for HER is really none of her concern at this point. She spends one line on "he's the one I'm dreamin' of" and then skips right to "fallin' in love is so bitter sweet" etc. But the thing is, we're just supposed to presume that she is in love with him and the only question, is whether he will return her love or not.

The thing is, well I have multiple issues with this. Let's start at the beginning. While it's all well and good to assume that maybe she DOES care for him and really wants to know what he thinks of her, this song is so out of proportion. How can she truly be in love with someone she doesn't really know?? It's not "he's my friend and we've been friends forever and I love him in secret". Oh no, it's a boy she JUST MET. And so, every time they talk she falls for him more and more and just wants to know if he too, is senseless.

Secondly, she seems to steal all of the romance out of it for herself. The best way to express this would be to use a phrase a friend of mine used: "it is a rebuttable presumption that a guy doesn't like you. Let him rebutt it if he does." Good call! So, if he was interested in her, he would let her know. If he doesn't, maybe it's not time or maybe he may need a little push. But certainly, certainly a boy she just met doesn't need the assault of a song about how much she is in love with him every time they speak - so what, she sat next to him on a bus and that was it? The next week when he said hi to her at the bus stop or tipped his hat good morning she got weak in the knees? That's just stupid.

Finally, and most importantly. It seems to me that the REAL question - the most important question - would be how would she know if she really loved him. You don't need someone to always say they care for you for you to know it's true. Granted, they ought to say so, but it isn't necessary for determination, perhaps only from a reenforcement stand point. The real question, is what does she feel for him? Love is a serious and important thing, and it's not a game. I have found the most difficult decisions for me to be what I think about him, not what he thinks about me. If a guy likes you and asks you out, you need to decide what you think before you answer. And as the relationship progresses, it can only go as far as both people are willing to let it. If you feel something for him that he doesn't for you, you wait, or move on. If you don't feel for him what he feels for you, you still wait or move on. Both are YOUR choices. Everyone gets this choice.

I am more concerned now about deciphering my feelings for others, not deciphering their feelings for me. And I hope this is ALWAYS true.


KNOW THYSELF.